Influence of pre-slaughter transportation and stocking density on carcass and meat quality characteristics of Boer goats

Abstract

There are limited studies on the effects of transportation stress and stocking density under tropical conditions and their interactions with aging and muscle types on carcass and meat quality characteristics of goat. The present study investigated the effects of transportation and stocking density on carcass characteristics and meat quality traits of Longissimus dorsi, and Semimembranosus muscles in Boer goats. Thirty 1-year-old Boer goats, divided into two groups, were transported by road for 3.5 h, with density of 0.4 m 2 and 0.2 m 2 per animal, respectively; a third group which was not transported served as control. Meat pH, drip loss, cooking loss, tenderness and colour were measured from samples of the muscles. The transported goats had significantly lower carcass shrinkage, glycogen content, drip loss, tenderness, lightness, yellowness, hue-angle and chroma values compared to the non-transported group. In contrast, they showed significantly higher cooking loss and redness than the non-transported goats. Goats transported in high stocking density showed significantly (p < .05) higher live weight loss and lower dressing-out percentage than those in low stocking density. This study indicated that higher stocking density at pre-slaughter transportation increased shrinkage loss and deteriorated meat quality of goats. Therefore, using an appropriate density during transportation should be considered. ARTICLE HISTORY

Effect of space allowance during transport and fasting or non-fasting during lairage on carcass contamination and meat traits in Merino lamb

“…Our results showed a tendency for lambs transported at high density (SAL-FEED or SAL-FAST) to have highest DL values (2.39% and 1.57% respectively). In goats, Nikbin et al (2016) associated high amount of loss water to the stress conditions, and, in agreement with our results, animals transported at high stocking density (0.2 m 2 per animal, i.e. low space allowance) has higher DL values than samples from animals transported at 0.4 m 2 per goat (high space allowance).…”

Influence of Long-Distance Transportation Under Various Crating Densities on Broiler Meat Quality During Hot and Humid Weather

“…A similar increase in meat shear force in broilers after transportation has been previously reported ( Doktor and Połtowicz, 2009 ; Yalçin and Guler, 2012 ). A significant increase in drip loss %, cooking loss %, and shear force was also reported in Boer goats transported at higher crating density compared to those transported at lower crating density and without transportation treatment ( Nikbin et al , 2016 ).…”

“…Non-uniform movement of air in these open-sided trucks has been associated with the development of a thermal core, in which some regions of the truck, particularly the middle and rear ones, have a higher temperature than other regions ( Simões et al , 2009 ). Length of transportation interacts with crating density to determine the microclimate of the vehicle and the level of broiler stress under different climates ( Bedanova et al , 2006 ; Queiroz et al , 2015 ; Nikbin et al , 2016 ). The negative effect of an increase in transportation distance on meat quality has already been reported in various geographical ranges and climatic zones ( Bianchi et al , 2006 ; Yalçin and Güler, 2012 ; Aral et al , 2014 ).…”

Effect of dietary supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on stress parameters in goat kids

“…During transportation, animals lose weight due to dehydration and loss of energy required for the maintenance of homeostasis (Knowles, 1995). Many researchers have evaluated body weight loss in young ruminants in view of the animals' age and breed, duration of transportation, and space allowances inside the vehicle (Kannan et al, 2000(Kannan et al, , 2007aKadim et al, 2006;Kadim et al, 2007;Nikbin et al, 2016;Akin et al, 2018;Yalcintan et al, 2018), but their findings were inconclusive. In a study by Kannan et al (2000), live weight loss in 15-month-old goats was not affected by stocking density and reached 9.8-10.2% after 2.5 h of transportation.…”

“…Numerous handling operations are performed within a short period and are a source of stress, which decreases immunity and disrupts homeostasis in animals (Kannan et al, 2003;Sowińska et al, 2006; Effect of dietary supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on stress parameters in goat kids Sowińska et al Kadim et al, 2007;Minka et Ayo, 2007;De la Fuente et al, 2010Adenkola and Ayo, 2010). These stressors increase susceptibility to infection, contribute to body weight loss, and compromise meat quality (Kannan et al, 2002;Kadim et al, 2006Kadim et al, , 2007Ferguson and Warner, 2008;Nikbin et al, 2016;Yalcintan et al, 2018).…”