CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG GOATS FROM DIFFERENT BREED GROUPS UNDER TWO FEEDING SYSTEMS

The present trial was conducted with the purpose of comparing breeds, sex and feeding systems on carcass characteristics of goat kids. Seventy-eight goats from both sexes, five breeding groups and two management systems were used in this trial: 13 Alpine (7 male and 6 female), 14 Boer x Alpine F1 (7 male and 7 female), 15 ½ Anglo-Nubian x ½ Alpine (9 male and 6 female), 17 Boer x Alpine F2 (7 male and 10 female) and 19 ½ Anglo-Nubian x ¼ Alpine x ¼ Boer (9 male and 10 female). The animals were raised under feedlot conditions, weaned at 60 days of age and fed a pelleted diet containing 70% concentrate and 30% hay (S1 = 40 animals) or grazing on cultivated Tanzania grass pasture (Panicum maximum) (S2 = 38 animals). Animals were slaughtered after reaching 120 days of age. The effects of breed, sex and feeding system on live weight at slaughter (LWS) were significant (P < 0.01). Boer x Alpine (F1) presented a higher LWS (P < 0.01) than other breeds, male goat kids were heavier than female goat kids (23.7 vs 20.0 kg) and animals from S1 had higher LWS in comparison to animals from S2 (26.0 vs 17.7 kg).  Hot carcass of Boer x Alpine (F1) goat kids was heavier (11.5 kg) than Boer x Alpine F2 (9.2 kg), Alpine (9.7 kg), ½ Anglo-Nubian x ¼ Alpine x ¼ Boer (10.4 kg) and ½ Anglo-Nubian x ½ Alpine (9.9 kg). Dressing percentage was affected (P < 0.01) by feeding system and was greater (P < 0.01) for S1 (47.0%) than for S2 (43.9%). The size of wholesale cuts were affected by breed. Boer x Alpine (F1) goat kids showed better performance with respect to size of leg, loin and rib cuts. In addition, the proportion of all cuts for male and goat kids raised on S1 was found to be greater (P < 0.01) than that of S2 and females. Findings of this study indicated that Boer x Alpine (F1) goat kids had better carcass characteristics than the other breeds.