In this study, the hind legs' muscle, one of the important parts of chicken body for meat production, was compared quantitatively with its weight among various breeds and sexes. Males and females of Rhode Island Red (RIR), Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR), White Leghorn (WL) and males of White Cornish (WC) were used from 2 to 18-19 weeks of age. Weighing of skeletal muscle was done in the hind legs' part and its three different subparts (pelvis, femur, crus). Regression equations of males and females of each breed were calculated between the muscle weight of these parts and live weight or total muscle weight. And the equations were applied to the study of ability of meat production. The results were as follows: Specific individual ability of meat production in the hind legs' part and its three subparts was observed among all breeds and sexes. This individual ability was controlled by two factors; one was the rate of increase of the live weight, and the other was the rate of increase of the individual muscle percentage weight against the live weight. In males, RIR showed the highest value of muscle percentage weight of all breeds, and high ability of meat production in the hind legs' part. When the muscle percentage weight was compared between WC and RIR at the same live weight, WC showed always lower value than RIR. But WC was the better meat producer than RIR in the hind legs' part, because of its rapid rate of increase of live weight. BPR showed the highest value of muscle percentage weight until 1 kg of live weight. WL exhibited the worst ability of meat production of the hind legs' part, because of both factors, namely low value of muscle percentage weight and slow rate of increase of live weight. In females, the muscle percentage weight did not show any differences between RIR, BPR and WL in the hind legs' part, and also between sexes. The percentage weight of hind legs' muscle to total muscle weight did not change in WC males, but it increased in other breed males and females. These results suggest that the ability of meat production of hind legs' part is better than that of other parts in the body. When hind legs' part was divided into three subparts, the ability of meat production of each subpart was also discussed. The percentage weight of crural muscle to live weight increased conspicuously in RIR. The percentage weights of crural and pelvic muscles to total muscle weight in RIR showed the largest value also. The percentage weight of femoral muscle to total muscle weight was largest in BPR.
鶏の後肢部は重要な精肉生産部位である.この後肢部を3部位に細分し,後肢部および3部位の骨格筋成長に関して,品種および雌雄間の差異を検討した.使用した品種はWhite Cornish種(WC)雄,Rhode Island Red種(RIR)雌雄,Barred Plymouth Rock種(BPR)雌雄およびWhite Leghorn種(WL)雌雄鶏であつた.鶏体の後肢部およびその中の3部位での骨格筋重量を2週齢から18~19週齢まで計測し,これらと体重および総筋肉量の間に回帰方程式を求めた.この回帰方程式に基づき,各品種および雌雄間で後肢部の産肉能力を比較検討した.その結果,後肢部とその中の3部位の産肉能力は品種および雌雄に特有の筋肉量の体重比と体重の増加速度によつて規定された.雄ではRIRが最も大きい体重比を示し,後肢部の産肉能力で高いことを示した,これに対して,WCは体重比では小さかつたけれども,体重の増加が著しく,総合的にはRIRを凌ぐ産肉性を示した.BPRは低体重時に高い産肉性を示した.WLは体重比も小さく,体重も軽く,最も産肉能力で劣つた.雌では後肢部筋肉量の体重比はほとんど差を示さなかつた.また,雌雄間でも後肢部筋肉量の体重比はほとんど差を示さなかつた.後肢部筋肉量の総筋肉量に占める割合はWC雄を除き,他のすべての品種で総筋肉量の増加とともに増加の傾向を示し,後肢部骨格筋の発育がその他の部位にやや勝ることを示唆した.WC雄ではほとんど変化しなかつた.小割した3部位の中では,RIRの下腿部筋肉量の体重比が,他の品種より著しく大きかつた.また,RIRは総筋肉量比でも下腿部筋肉量および覧部筋肉量で他の品種より大きな値を示した.大腿部筋肉量ではBPRの総筋肉量比が最も大きかつた.