EFFECT OF FEEDING SYSTEM (INTENSIVE VS SEMI-INTENSIVE) ON GROWTH-RATE, MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PECTORALIS-MUSCLE AND CARCASS PARAMETERS OF THE WHITE ITALIAN GEESE

The effects of high - forage and mixtures in quality limited but with cut green forage ad libitum on weight gain, feed conversion, carass pa rameters and pectoralis muscle microstructure of White Italian geese W D-3 strain (males and females of 16 weeks of age) was examined. Geese fed on intensive system used 0.5 kg more mixture per 1 kg of weight ga in than those birds which were fed with addition of green feed. Intens ive feeding system influenced on higher body weight and higher carcass weight in the males, higher meat yield on both sexes as well as on hi gher weight of skin with subcutaneus fat from the breast muscle and th e thigh together with shank and on higher weight of abdominal fat. Whe n compared with males, the females showed higher weight of subcutaneus fat as well as abdominal fat. Higher body weight of the males fed in the intensive system was related to greater diameters of both distingu ished muscle fiber types. The intensive system of geese fattening caus ed the increase in growth rate, bod weight and diameter of the breast muscle fibers. The semi-intensive system of fattening had positive inf luence on feed utilization, higher content of meat in the carcass, and reduction of fatness.