Animals (Nov 2021)

Influence of the Use of Milk Replacers on Carcass Characteristics of Suckling Kids from Eight Spanish Goat Breeds

  • Guillermo Ripoll,
  • María Jesús Alcalde,
  • Anastasio Argüello,
  • María Guía Córdoba,
  • Begoña Panea

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113300
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 11
p. 3300

Abstract

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Since goat milk has a higher value than kid meat in Europe, some farmers rear kids with milk replacers, although some studies have stated that kids raised on natural milk yield higher-quality carcasses. Our previous studies showed some interactions between breed and rearing system on carcass and meat quality. This study evaluated the influence of the use of milk replacers on several carcass characteristics of suckling kids from eight Spanish goat breeds (Florida, Cabra del Guadarrama, Majorera, Palmera, Payoya, Retinta, Tinerfeña, and Verata). A total of 246 kids fed milk replacer (MR) or natural milk (NM) were evaluated. Carcass, head, viscera, and kidney fat weights, as well as several carcass measurements (round perimeter, forelimb width, carcass length, forelimb length, and carcass compactness index), were registered. Forelimbs were dissected to study tissue composition. For all studied variables, interactions were found between rearing system and breed. In general, the MR rearing system increased the head and visceral weights, as well as the length measurements and muscle percentages. Conversely, the NM rearing system increased carcass compactness and resulted in higher fat contents, independent of the deposit. The choice of one or another rearing system should be made according to the needs of the target market.

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