Carcass composition
Goats contribute to the meat supply mainly in lesser-developed economies and much of the goat meat is consumed without going through organized market channels. Therefore, little attention has been paid in the past to carcass quality. Most of the available data cannot be compared because of the widely differing methods used. Carcass yields have little meaning unless they are expressed as percentages of empty body weight; these are around 50 percent in adult and about 53 percent in kids. Because of the higher fat content they may reach 55 percent in well-fed animals. Fat is the most variable carcass component. Most of the differences in carcass composition between groups of different ages and between groups fed differently are, in fact, differences in fat content. When the proportion of individual joints or muscle groups is expressed as a percentage of fat-free carcass weight, most of these differences disappear or become very small. Even between small (dwarf) breeds and large specialized meat breeds, differences in the proportion of lean meat are of little importance. However, the meatier animals do have a higher ratio of lean to bone. Insufficient external fat cover may be a serious factor limiting carcas quality in younger kids. In future investigations, measurements should be based on empty body weight. Screening of breeds to determine their suitability for improving carcass quality would require the determination of fat-free carcass weights. It should be kept in mind, however, that in most societies where goats are an important source of meat, a high carcass fat content is desirable. Furthermore, experience with other livestock should be considered, where the change, by breeding of growth rate and body proportions has occasionally seriously affected the general vigor and adaptability of the animals. It may well be that the goat as a domestic animal species has conserved its notorius adaptability to adverse environment conditions because man has in the past not tried to alter by selective breeding its growth rate and body composition
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
Scottsdale, AZ (EUA)
1982
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