First studies into the effects of live weight slaughter in kids' meat colour

Abstract

Two groups of 10 Canary Caprine Group male kids were used to study the effects of live weight (LWT) at slaughter (6 or 10 kg LWT) on the colour of their meat. The kids were reared artificially on ad libitum milk replacer dissolved in water (16% w/w). Fresh milli replacer was offered twice daily. Solid feed was also made available freely from 15 days of age. Meat colour was measured on the Semimembranosus muscle, Longissimus dorsi muscle and Triceps brachii muscle with a triestimulus colourimeter in CIE L*a*b* system. There was no effect of live weight at slaughter on the colour of meat, but there were differences in colour between the different muscles. The darkest muscle (p<0.05), with less redness and less yellowness (p<0.05) was Longissimus dorsi.