The objective of this work was to study the profile of growth and nutrient deposition on muscles, bones and skin of Ross and Cobb male and female broiler chicken from the age of one day to 56 days. We used 1920 chicks raised in experimental boxes. The experimental design was randomized in a factorial model (2 x 2), with 4 replications of 120 birds each. The birds were fed with diets formulated to supply the nutrient requirements according to each breeding phase. The birds were slaughtered weekly, after 24 hours of fasting, then they were completely plucked and feather samples were collected. The birds were eviscerated and after separating the skin and muscles from the bones, they were weighed, identified and stored in a cold chamber. Thereafter, the samples were ground and freeze-dried to be analyzed in laboratory. There was an interaction (P<0.05) between strains and gender for the parameters Pm and t* of the weight of plucked and fasting birds, water and body ashes, weight and feather proteins and Pm and t* for the muscle weight. Cobb strain was more precocious regarding growth and deposition of protein. The Pm of the muscle did not differ between the studied strains, however, Ross strain presented late growth rate of protein in the muscle and was precocious in the fat deposition rate. The parameters of the Gompertz equation were similar between strains for protein and skin weight.
Broiler chicken; growth curves; muscles; bones and skin; Gompertz
