Abstract
Wenchang chicken is a premium indigenous breed in China, yet the combined effects of laying stage and feed restriction on its volatile meat flavor remain poorly understood. Breast and thigh muscles from Wenchang hens at 160, 180, 210, and 360 days (n = 3/treatment) under feed restriction (FR) or ad libitum (AL) feeding were prepared using the traditional coconut chicken cooking protocol and analyzed by electronic nose, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and HS-GC-IMS, using three-way ANOVA and CLR-transformed PLS-DA. Muscle type was the dominant main effect for meat color (L*: p = 0.004; a*: p < 0.001; b*: p < 0.001), while laying stage dominated key lipid-oxidation volatiles (octanal, dodecane, tetradecane; all p < 0.001). The age × feeding interaction was significant for seven key compounds (all p < 0.05), confirming stage-dependent reversal: AL increased aldehydes and alkanes at 160–180 days but reversed at 360 days. Physical traits were nonsignificant. GC-MS identified 79 reproducible compounds; PLS-DA confirmed significant discrimination by feeding (Q2Y = 0.830), age (Q2Y = 0.089), and muscle (Q2Y = 0.148). These findings demonstrate combined regulation of age, feeding, and muscle cut on flavor, supporting optimal quality windows for Wenchang chicken products.