Early and 24 h post-mortem thigh (ilio tibialis) muscle metabolism and meat quality in two genetic types of turkeys and their reciprocal crosses, raised under semi-confined conditions.

1. The experiment was conducted in order to determine the effect of the direction of turkey crossing on quality traits of their thigh muscle. 2. In total, 1358 turkeys of slow- (SG) and fast-growing (FG) lines as well as SF crosses (SG × FG) and FS crosses (FG × SG) were reared with access to free range to 21 weeks of age in the case of males and 15 weeks of age in the case of hens. 3. After slaughter of 15 males and 15 hens from each genetic line, their thigh muscles were examined and the following traits were measured after 5-min, 45-min, 2-h and 24-h post-mortem: temperature, pH, glycogen content (G), lactate content (L) and electrical conductivity (EC). Quality attributes were evaluated based on chemical composition, water holding capacity, cooking loss (%) and colour. 4. The rate of post-mortem changes in temperature, G, L and pH in muscles differed among the 4 lines of turkeys, with the highest metabolic rate determined for muscles of SG turkeys, followed by muscles of SF, FS and FG birds. A more beneficial muscle water holding capacity of both sexes of turkeys and better results of cooking loss in male muscles were found in SG and SF turkeys. The thigh muscles of the crosses were characterised by a higher content of protein and a lower content of fat compared to the muscles of FG turkeys, and in the case of the males also by a higher protein content compared to the muscles of SG birds. 5. Owing to the faster post-mortem metabolism, better water holding capacity, lower cooking loss and fat content at a similar content of protein, the thigh muscles of SF crosses raised in the free range system represent a better quality of meat for consumers compared to the thigh muscles of FS turkeys.