The experiment was conducted to study the effect of indoor-floor, indoor-net and free-range raising systems on growth rate, carcass traits and meat quality of slow-growing broiler chicken. One-day old Gushi chicks were raised until day 35 of life. On day 36, 135 female birds of similar body weight (mean 354 g), were randomly selected and assigned to one of three raising systems (indoor-floor,indoor-net and free-range), each with three replicates of 15 birds (i.e. 45 birds per system). Both the indoor-floor and indoor-net systems were run in pens with solid or net floor, respectively, in a poultry research house (7 birds/m2). The free-range system was run in a similar indoor house (7 birds/m2), but with a free access of birds to grassy paddock (1 bird/m2). All birds were offered the same diets and were kept growing for 112 days. The body weight and body weight gain of birds from free-range system were found to be significantly lower than of those kept in indoor-floor system (P <0.05), while for feed conversion ratio (feed/gain) the reverse relation (P <0.05) was observed. There was no difference in eviscerated carcass, and breast and thigh percentages among three raising systems (P>0.05), while the systems significantly affected the abdominal fat and stomach per cent of carcass, and tibia strength (P<0.05). The water, protein and fat contents, water-holding capacity, shear force and pH of the meat were unaffected (P>0.05) by the raising system. It is concluded that in slow-growing chicken the free-range raising system had significant effect on growth performance,but only limited on carcass traits and meat quality, except for abdominal fat, stomach percentage and tibia strength.
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