Roles of Environment, Nutrition, and Genetics in Woody Breast Condition in Chickens

Woody breast (WB) condition is a muscle disease in broiler chickens that makes breast meat hard and rubbery, and it has a negative impact on the texture and appearance of fast-growing broiler chicken breast muscle. This condition is safe for consumers, but the meat generally goes under extra meat processing, such as making pet foods, because of lower consumer acceptance, which is an additional cost for the industry. The exact etiology of myopathy is unknown. Although there is no promising solution for the issue, several strategies, such as nutrition, have been introduced to reduce the WB rate. The present study reviewed the strategies that improved WB conditions, including genetics, nutritional, and environmental factors such as temperature and air quality.