Relative development of tissues, commercial meat cuts and live weight components in Saanen goats

Abstract

With the objective of evaluating the relative development of live weight (LW) components, commercial meat cuts and carcass tissues, 40 Saanen male kids were used. These animals were slaughtered when they reached 5.0, 12.5, 20.0, 27.5 and 35.0 kg of LW. The carcass was sectioned as follows: shoulder, neck, 1st to 5th rip, 6th to 13th rip, brisket, chump and leg. The leg was dissected into bones, muscle and fat. An allometric equation was used Y=aXb for relative development estimation. Osseous tissue showed a precocious growth, intermediary muscle and adipose tissues had a late growth, being the subcutaneous fat the latest. All commercial meat cuts showed an isogonic allometric coefficient, with exception for the 6th to 13th rip, and brisket. Carcass development and non-carcass components followed the empty body weight. Goats with 35 kg of LW showed adequate muscle proportion and muscle:bone ratio, but higher fat proportion than kids slaughtered at 20 kg of LW.