Effects of Caponization on Meat Quality of Hinai-jidori Chicken

Hinai-dori is a breed of chicken native to Akita Prefecture. The crossbred (Hinai-dori sire X Rhode Island Red) have been commercialized as Hinai-jidori and popular in Japan. Because the taste of male meat is not suitable for the indigenous dish, Kiritanpo stew, Hinai-jidori male has not been used commercially. This paper analyses the effects of caponization at 8 weeks on the meat quality of Hinai-jidori chicken slaughtered at 26 weeks. The thigh and breast meat were used for meat quality analyses, i.e., chemical compositions (moisture, crude protein, and ether extract), meat color, fatty acid composition and histological observations. Caponization caused its meat to be more fat and to decrease redness as compared with males. Caponization resulted in change of the fatty acid profile of thigh meat which was similar to the meat from females. Capon meat became more tender as compared with uncaponized bird and similar in tenderness to female. Regarding muscle structure, it was observed that capons had less connective tissue and thin endomysium as compared with males. These data suggest that caponization improves meat quality and can make unused male chicks usable in the production of Hinai-jidori chickens.