Goat kids meat quality: artificial rearing and weight at slaughter effects.

Abstract

The objective of our study was to examine the effects of the rearing system and weight at slaughter on meat quality in young Canary Caprine Group kids. Forty twin, male kids were allotted to one of four groups based on feeding regimens: kids nursed by their dams (ND, n: 10), or kids fed a commercial milk replacer (23.7 percent CP and 22.8 percent fat) and controlled intake (CR, n: 10), and live weight at slaughter: 6 kg (WS6, n: 10), or 10 kg (WS10, n: 10). Immediately after slaughter, pH was measured on the Longissimus dorsii (LD). The carcasses were chilled at 4 C for 24 h, and pH, Warner-Brazler shear force (WBSF), color (Lightness, L, Croma, C, Hue, H), water holding capacity (WHC), chemical composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash, collagen and his solubility), muscle fiber types proportions and their areas, were determined in the LD muscle. No interactions were observed in any parameter between rearing method and weight at slaughter. No statistic effect were founded in pH values, although the ND kids showed a higher pH values when the weight at slaughter increased, the evolution in CR kids were opposite. Compared with the WS10 kids, the LD muscle from WS6 kids had higher L (P<.05), but no differences were founded in Croma or Hue. Rearing method and weight at slaughter did not affect to WBSF, but a relation between WBSF and solubility collagen may be observed. The meat from ND animals were more exudative than CR kids (P<.001), while no statistic effect was observed by weight at slaughter. The chemical composition changed lightly, reducing moisture percentage (P<.001) and increasing protein proportion (P<.001) in WS10, probably due to hypertrophy growth muscle fiber areas were higher. No effects were described in muscle fiber type population. The WS10 muscle fiber area was higher than WS6 (P<.05), but in opposite the rearing system did not show statistic effects. Thus, the results show that using milk replacers in goat kids and increasing the weight at slaughter did not affect negatively to meat quality.