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Commercially reared m ixed sex broilers were utilized to determine the effect o f dress carcass weight on percentage yield o f
broiler parts, breast m eat yield in weight category o f <1.0, 1.0-1.2, 1.2-1.4, 1.4-1.6, 1.6-1.8. 1.8-2.0 and >2.0 kg. Then pH,
cooking yield and moisture content o f the breast meat with different time intervals (0 hr, 12 hrs, 24 hrs, 36 hrs, 48 hrs) and
proximate compositions o f meat were measured. Percentage yield o f whole leg, thigh, breast, back and rib, neck, wings,
gizzards, heart, liver, drumstick and total giblet were significantly affected by dress carcass weight at p<0.05. Yield o f body
components changed with the increasing body weight. p H values was significantly affected by time after slaughtering and
finally it's reduced, up to 5.69 at 48 hrs after slaughtering. Suitable processing weight o f broiler carcass to gain maximum
breast yield is >2.0 kg which could be obtained highest fillet yield. To gain highest cooking yield (83.55%), carcass should
be cooked immediately after slaughtering. Regression analyses revealed that linear relationship between live weight and
dress weight o f broiler carcass at different transport distance, starvation period, life time, and cage systemi atp<0.01 except
>150 kg transport distance. Based on the dressing percentage, weight o f total edible meat, it may be concluded that broiler
chickens are optim ally slaughtered up to 2.0 kg live weight. Live and dress weight had highly significant relationship with
the transport distance, starvation period, life time, cage system and live weight category’.
