Production properties and slaughtering parameters of domestic Balkan goat's kids | Proizvodne i klanične karakteristike jarića domaće balkanske koze

Goats are known as the most fertile of ruminants which was used by many breeders to increase the production of meat of kid by forcing the fertility of goats and creating the breeds that can produce 2-3 kids in one kidding. This property of the goats can be used also in the case of two kidding a year; in the case where meat production is more payable than milk production or there is a decreased interest for milk production (lack of conditions for milk commutation or processing). Since the available national literature is deficient in data related to goats and kids bred in Serbia, the aim of this paper was to investigate certain production results and slaughtering parameters of domestic Balkan goats kids. One more reason for this is the fact that domestic Balkan goat makes 35% of total goat population raised in Serbia. The paper presents the investigation of slaughtering parameters i.e. meat production results, in 96 kids of the domestic Balkan goat (4 herds, 24 animal per herd, 50:50 sex ratio), slaughtered at 90 days of age in order to determine the differences between investigated herds and sex of kids (male vs. female), pertaining to quantitative characteristic of meat. The average warm carcass dressing percentage including head and entrails for kids from all investigated herds was 58.19%. Relative share of muscle tissue in three rib cut for kids from all investigated herds was 59.66%, fatty tissue 13.01%, connective tissue 3.44% and bone tissue 23.88%. For all kids, from all investigated herds, the weight of MLD was 0.111 kg, length 29.01, diameter a 3.94 cm, diameter b 2.17 cm and ratio a/b – 1.81 cm. Analysis of variance show that differences established for the weight of MLD were statistically significant (p is less than 0.01) between investigated herds, while these differences for sexes (male and female) between investigated herds and sexes were not statistically significant (p is greater than 0.05). Better nutrition during fattening (herd 2 and Herd 4) had a considerable favorable effect on achieving higher body weight at 90 days, as well as better commercial value of the carcass.