ARS | Publication request: CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPOSITION FOR SPANISH AND BOER CROSSBRED GOATKIDS

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 21, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Eighteen Spanish (S), Boer X Angora (BA), and Boer X Spanish (BS) castrated kid goats were used to investigate the effects of genotype on carcass characteristics, body composition, and distribution of carcass tissue. All kids had ad libitum access to a concentrate diet containing 25% CP, 2.71 Mcal DE/kg, 34.7% NDF, and 18% ADF. Animals were slaughtered at an average age of 212 days. Live body weight (25.4 to 32.4 kg), empty body weight (23.3 to 27.7 kg), hot carcass weight (11.9 to 15.0 kg), and dressing percentage (50.6 to 51.6%) was not affected by genotype. Boer X Spanish kids had greater (P<.005) bone:lean ratio than the other genotypes. Genotype had no effect on carcass scores, backfat thickness or longissimus muscle area. Internal fat was not affected by genotype (P>.05). Chemical composition of the carcass, non-carcass and the empty body were similar among genotypes. Boer crosses had a lower proportion of bone than S in the primal leg (23.1 vs 26.5%). These results indicate that Angora goat producers can as effectively produce goats with high quality carcasses as Spanish goat producers when Boer bucks are used as a terminal sire breed.