Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXIII, Issue 2
Written by Iuliana Ștefania BORDEI, Daniela IANIȚCHI, Monica Paula MARIN, Marius MAFTEI, Teodor GAVRIȘ, Marius GHEȚA, Carmen Georgeta NICOLAE
The pheasant is a widespread bird in most European countries, especially raised to be hunted. The pheasant can be raised in captivity and released before hunting. Nutritionists recommend an increased consumption of pheasant meat due to its nutritional qualities. This meat contains small amounts of fat; it is rich in vitamins, minerals, calcium and has a low percentage of cholesterol and carbohydrates. The pheasant meat also contains B vitamins, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus. It is a good aliment for people who suffer from thyroid disease, due to the large amount of iodine. It is considered that the pheasant reaches culinary maturity at the age of 6 months, at this age reaching a weight of 1.5 kg. According to studies, the slaughter yield of pheasants is 60.9% to 67.7%. Regarding body sizes, in the case of wild pheasant, the size of chest was bigger compared with the thighs. In terms of meat quality, depending on rearing conditions, were reported slightly higher values for the amount of fat in meat in farmed pheasants compared to those in the wild. Compared to broilers, the amount of protein in the dry matter of meat extracted from the breast was much higher, as it follows: 5.16% in females and 9.95% in males.
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