Growth performance, carcass quality, and noncarcass components of indigenous Caribbean goats under varying nutritional densities1

Abstract

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.

Carcass yield traits of kids from a complete diallel of Boer, Kiko, and Spanish meat goat breeds semi-intensively managed on humid subtropical pasture1,2

“…Litter type had very a limited effeot on out proportions and musole indioators. Studies have demonstrated how postweaning environmental faotors suoh as nutrition oan influenoe oaroass traits (Sheridan et al, 2003;Ryan et al, 2007;Liméa et al, 2009). Findings of the ourrent study show how preweaning environmental faotors oan persist to affeot oarcass charaoteristios, partioularly those direotly related to animal weight, and should be aooounted for when goat oaroass studies are oonduoted.…”

Effects of dietary energy density on nutrient digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics of Morada Nova lambs

“…Also, Liméa et al (2009) did not observed significant effect of increased levels of concentrate on cold carcass weight and biological yield in goat carcass. Values of cold carcass weight and biological yield obtained by Liméa et al (2009), were close to the ones presented in this study, with mean equal to 10.72 kg and 58.75, respectively. Observed average weight of hot carcass (11.51 kg) was lower than the one presented by Jacques, Berthiaume and Cinq-Mars (2011).…”

Fatty acid composition of muscle and adipose tissues of indigenous Caribbean goats under varying nutritional densities1

“…Because local demand for Creole goat meat is high in the Caribbean area, different feeding systems were studied to improve its meat production. The growth performance, carcass quality, and noncarcass components of the indigenous Caribbean goats in these feeding systems have been reported in a companion paper (Liméa et al, 2009a). The present study examined the effect of these FF and CF systems on the FA composition of adipose tissues and muscle in Creole kids.…”

“…The study was conducted on the Experimental Farm of the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Animal Production Research Unit in Cuadeloupe and is fully described in Liméa et al (2009a). All animal care, handling techniques, and slaughter procedures were approved by the INRA Animal Care and Use Committee before the research was initiated.…”

“…Thirty-two male indigenous Caribbean goats (9.0 ± 0.2 kg at 3 mo old) from a total of 40 (Liméa et al, 2009a) were reared in individual pens. Kids were blocked by BW and ADC between 30 and 70 d preweaning and were randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 groups.…”