Table 3. Meat color characteristics (24-h postmortem) affected by transportation distance and crating density¹.

Parameters	Distance			Cratingdensity			P value
	80 km	160 km	240 km	Low	Medium	High	Distance	Density	Interactions
L*	55.79±0.59b	54.79±0.54b	58.28±0.59a	55.29±0.64b	56.24±0.69ab	57.33±0.64a	0.0002	0.0391	0.4295
a*	14.17±0.47	15.19±0.31	14.76±0.38	14.39±0.46	14.64±0.33	15.10±0.40	0.2006	0.4436	0.5082
b*	17.96±0.65	18.54±0.44	16.76±0.41	17.47±0.45	17.79±0.66	18.00±0.50	0.0670	0.7786	0.6518
c	22.99±0.53ab	24.09±0.36a	22.37±0.45b	22.69±0.47	23.20±0.53	23.56±0.45	0.0411	0.4284	0.6972
h	51.56±1.54	50.59±1.02	48.62±0.84	50.55±1.11	50.30±1.40	49.92±1.10	0.2234	0.9320	0.4087

¹Values are least square mean±standard error

^a–cMeans in a row with no common superscript differ significantly at p≤.0.05

Cratingdensity: Low=10 birds/crate (0.050 m²/bird), 12 birds/crate (0.042 m²/bird), and 15 birds/crate (0.033 m²/bird)

L*=lightness, a*=redness, b*=yellowness, c=chroma, h=hue