Studies were conducted to determine the effects of feeding regimens on growth and carcass quality of the Creole goat, a genotype indigenous to the Caribbean. Forty kids weighing 9.0 +/- 1.2 kg of BW were reared indoors after weaning. Four supplement amounts were compared (10 kids per treatment): the G0 group received the basal diet (tropical forage, 8.8 MJ of ME and 108 g of CP/kg of DM) without concentrate, whereas the G100, G200, and G300 groups were offered 130, 230, and 310 g/d of concentrate (13.6 MJ of ME and 209 g of CP/kg of DM), respectively, in addition to the basal diet. The kids were slaughtered according to the standard procedure at 22 to 24 kg of BW for assessment of carcass traits and meat quality. Total DMI increased significantly, from 51 to 78 g/kg of BW(0.75), for G0 to G300 kids, whereas their ADG doubled from 42 to 84 g/d (P < 0.01; P < 0.01, respectively). The G:F values reached 125 to 130 for the G200 and G300 diets and were satisfactory compared with literature values. The carcass weight and dressing percentage (P < 0.01) increased from group G0 to G300, from 9 to 13 kg and from 42 to 51%, respectively. The proportions of the different cuts (related to the carcass weight) did not vary by diet. The conformation score increased significantly (P < 0.05) among the 4 groups from an average score of 3.2 to 4.0 (score/5). There was a significant effect (P < 0.01) of supplement amount on the accumulation of internal fat tissues: the kidney fat weight increased from 113 to 253 g from the G0 to the G300 group. Regardless of the feeding level and amount of internal fat, the carcasses had an acceptable fat cover score, which remained less than 2.6 (score/5). A significant effect was not observed for the ultimate pH and the main color variables of the meat. The cooking loss and the shoulder DM content varied (P < 0.05) with the supplement amount. By increasing the nutritional density of the diet, it was possible to obtain well-conformed and heavy carcasses, with no excessive fattening. Indigenous Creole goats have potential as meat animals when fed to gain more than 80 g/d. The optimal supplement supply with good-quality grass would be approximately 3.69 MJ of ME/d in our conditions. Further studies are required on meat sensory parameters and fatty acid profiles.

Data of 198 male Creole kids were analysed to assess the main non-genetic sources of variation of their meat abilities. Basal diet was composed of tropical pasture (28 days): in FD (forage diet), kids received no supplement; in group MD (mixed diet) they were offered 360 g/day pellet, while in group PD (pasture diet) kids were reared at pasture without supplementation. Given a regular four-month interval of weaning within the flock, fixed ages at slaughter (AS) were 7, 11 and 15 months. Three slaughter weights (SW) were compared 17-18, 21-22 and 25-26 kg. The growth levels before weaning and the season of birth effects were added in the statistical analysis. The use of MD has a significant (P < 0.05) effect on almost all the body and carcass traits: 85% more ADG and carcass weight. The weights of fat tissues increased but represented only 4% of empty body weight. As expected, there were significant (P < 0.05) differences within the SW and AS classes that are discussed. Range of variations allow for suggesting further experiments or practical recommendations. The initial results: carcass yield (55%), conformation score (more than 3), fat cover score (less than 3), proportion of primal cuts (63%) or muscle/bone ratio (3-4 points) are a good incentive for the local sector.

Forage diets provide good quality carcasses in sheep but very little is known in tropical goats. An experiment was designed with Creole male goats using grass-based systems to assess carcass yield, scores, cuts and composition. After weaning (84 d, 9.2 kg LW) two modes of forage feeding were compared with two replicates of each. Feeding groups were: PF for animals reared at pasture (n = 62) and IF when reared indoors (n = 60). Given that forage finishing will result in low ADG it appeared necessary to study different fattening lengths. The kids were equally divided into 4 groups: group A (n = 32), 4mo after weaning; group B (n = 32), 4mo after A; group C (n = 30), 3mo after B and group D (n = 28), 2mo after C. The animals grazed (in two sub-flocks) on irrigated tropical pastures managed in a rotational system (28 d of re-growth) at a mean stocking rate of 1,200 kg/ha/yr LW. The IF groups were reared in collective pens on a slatted floor (2 replicates of 7 or 8 kids each). They were fed the same stand of tropical grass (25% DM, 12% CP) as that of pasture that was cut daily and provided ad libitum. The ADG (-10%), the weights of omental fat (-60%) and fat in shoulder (-18%), the ultimate pH of carcass (-12%), the meat colour score (-24%), the "a" parameter accounting for redness (12%) and the DM and lipid contents (-4%) were significantly lower (p<0.05) in PF than in IF, while the liver was heavier (+23%, p<0.05). Feeding conditions seemed to be similar, thus, differences could be related to gastrointestinal parasitism in the PF system and hypotheses are discussed. Increasing the fattening duration, resulted in significant difference (p<0.01) in many traits: the weights at slaughter and of carcass increased by 40% and 60% from groups A to D and consequently the weights of body compartments and carcass cuts (1.5 to 2.0 fold more). When the results were presented as percentage of empty body weight and carcass weight, these preliminary results (carcass weight 9kg and yield 53%, muscle proportion 70%) and qualitative parameters (low fat score 2/5, fat proportion 5%), seem to be a good incentive for the sector to develop a niche market to meet consumer lean meat expectations. The indoors system could be implemented where there was low availability of grazing areas or problems of dog attacks.

A study was done to evaluate banana (Musa paradisiaca) as a forage (leaves and pseudo-stems) for feeding Ovin Martinik lambs (OMK), with the aim to test its impact on carcass quality. Forty four intact OMK male were used after weaning with an initial mean live weight of 14.4 (+/- 3.3) kg, reared in individual pens. Animals were offered either Dichantium hay (control diet, Dh) or cut chopped leaves and pseudo-stems of banana (experimental diet, Blps). They were fed 200-250 g x d(-1) of commercial concentrate. Lambs were slaughtered according to 3 classes of slaughter weight (SW): SW20, SW23 and SW26. Growth and carcass performances of both groups were not significantly different, 77 vs. 81 g x d(-1) and 42% vs. 43% hot carcass yield, for Dh vs. Blps, respectively. There was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease (31.0 vs. 29.7%) for the dry matter content of the shoulder for lambs fed the banana diet. However, there was no effect observed for the other chemical component (CP, lipid and mineral 585, 317 and 95 g x kg(-1) DM, respectively). The shoulder (20% of the carcass whatever the SW) was precocious as demonstrated by the allometry coefficient relative to carcass weight (0.894) significantly (P < 0.01) less than 1. It was concluded that, the use of Blps had no significant effect on growth, carcass weights and yields of the OMK lambs, irrespective of the class of the slaughter weight. From these initial results, the use of banana foliages and pseudo-stems could be recommended as sources of forages.

Carcass data base of 164 Creole male goats was used in order to provide factual data on the carcass conformation. Standardised procedures of carcass measuring and cutting were followed. The European official grid of light lamb is implemented for meat goat in the French West Indies and included five levels. Weights of carcass, cuts and tissues, quality scores and linear measurements were analysed. Feeding system, age at slaughter and weight were taken into account for statistical analysis. There were significant differences among carcass conformation classes (CC) for many traits except for the fat score, leg length and compactness ratio (carcass width on length): 2.2, 34.5 cm and 0.30 on average, respectively. The values of chilled carcass weight and yield and the carcass linear measurements steadily increased until conformation class 4 or 5: 6.7 to 11.2 kg, 49% to 55% and 52.4 to 58.0 cm carcass length. For the weights of carcass cuts, significant differences appeared between two groups: classes 1 and 2 vs. classes 3, 4 and 5. Regardless of the carcass weight, the distribution of prime cuts remained similar. The indices calculated on a weight basis (kg/cm), either for the carcass or the leg, increased significantly (P<0.01): with 54% and 63% difference between the two extreme classes, respectively. The muscle, bone and fat proportions in the shoulder did not vary between CC with 0.72, 0.22 and 0.06, respectively. Corresponding traits in leg were 0.74, 0.23 and 0.03; the last two were different (P<0.05) from class 1 to class 5. The muscle/bone ratios calculated either in shoulder or in leg ranged from 3.1 to 3.6 (P>0.05).

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of diet and age on finishing performances and carcass characteristics of male Creole goats. A total of 91 weaned male Creole kids [84 days old ± 7 days, 9.2 kg live weight (LW) ± 0.5 kg] were randomly allocated in a 2 × 3 experimental design. The animals were fed individually with two diets: C0: a 28-day-old Digitaria decubens grass alone, or C50: the same grass plus a commercial concentrate (50% of the total diet) and then slaughtered at 7, 11, or 15 months of age. Significant feeding regimen and age at slaughter effects were observed on the goat carcass characteristics. The addition of concentrate improved the average daily gain (ADG), the dressing percentage, and the conformation score (1–5 scale) from 46 to 88 g/day, 52.8 to 62.4%, and 2.2 to 4.9, respectively. Moreover, carcasses of the C0 group appeared lean with less developed fat than the C50 group and lighter than visceral fat. The meat color was significantly more affected by diet than age. Our data suggested that the production of heavy carcasses with low proportions of fat in the meat is possible in this local breed. The valorization of such a forage feeding system until 11 months of age or with the addition of concentrate from 7 to 11 months of age should be evaluated economically.

The effects of a concentrate diet on growth, carcass fat, and fatty acid (FA) composition of muscle (supraspinatus), perirenal, and intermuscular adipose tissues of Creole goats (n = 32) were evaluated. Goats were fed a tropical green forage Digitaria decumbens ad libitum with no concentrate (G0) or 1 of 3 levels of concentrate: 140 (G100), 240 (G200), and 340 g•d(-1) (G300), respectively. Goats were slaughtered according to the standard procedure at the commercial BW (22 to 24 kg of BW). Goats fed the concentrate diets (G100, G200, and G300) had greater ADG (P < 0.001), cold carcass weights (P < 0.001), and omental (P < 0.01), perirenal (P < 0.01), and intermuscular (P < 0.01) adipose tissues weights. Dietary intake of C18:0, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6 increased as concentrate supplementation increased (P < 0.001), whereas C18:3n-3 intake was not affected (P > 0.05). Increased concentrate supplementation did not affect (P > 0.05) the proportion of MUFA in all tissues and had very little effect on SFA in perirenal tissue, but increased the PUFA proportion in muscle (P < 0.05). The major effect of feeding increased concentrate was an increase in n-6 PUFA proportions in all tissues (P < 0.001) and, surprisingly, a decrease in n-3 PUFA (P < 0.001). Focusing on FA, which are supposed to have a beneficial or an adverse effect on human health, feeding increased concentrate did not increase the content of any cholesterol-increasing SFA in meat, but increased the n-6/n-3 ratio above 4 when more than 240 g of concentrate was fed per day.

In order to prevent these risks, it is indispensable to learn more on the breeds and dread farmer's motivation for anarchic breeding practices. This study was aimed at prospecting farmers' management followed by an inventory and morphological characterization of these ovine resources in their own ecosystem. Investigation data were analyzed by SAS software (SAS Vs9). Ninety breeders were surveyed among which 91% stemming from the rural population show three main types of traditional systems exploiting ovine resources according to their food behavior and breeding environment: the extensive system (30% of the breeders) where supply is essentially based on natural pastures; the semi-extensive system (65% of the breeders), which associates breeding and where the agriculture is expanding in the sahel; the Urban and Outer-urban system (5% of the breeders) in which the main part of animals supply comes from household residues and some bought feed. Moreover, in these systems, cross-breeding is common, thus, about 51% of the investigated breeders have crossed subjects voluntarily or not in their herds. The characterization investigations were carried out on 324 Niger sheep; the breed phenotypic characterization for their production field, spread over 4 ethnic regions (Fakara, Sinder, Manga and Zarmaganda) and concerned 5 Niger native sheep breeds among which three meat breeds: the Oudah with two-colored fleece and Bali Bali with fleece are both of big size and raised by Fulani communities in southwest areas; the Tuareg Ara Ara breed is high on leg with average size being used in the north pastoral regions; two wool breads-the Koudoum found on the banks and Kourtè ye islands of Niger River and the Toubou or Hadine breeds in Manga (in the southeast); Besides these breads, there are two breeds introduced for strong butcher capacities-the Balami (native of Nigeria) introduced constantly by shepherds into border areas of Nigeria and the Sudanese (native of Sudan) introduced recently into Manga areas via the Chadian border.