Growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality in meat and dairy goat kids fed a concentrate-based diet or allotted to an intensive rotational grazing system

Abstract

Forty meat or dairy kids were blocked within breed according to body weight. Kids within each block were then randomly allotted to a concentrate-based diet or an intensive rotational grazing system. Kids fed the concentrate-based diet were offered hay ad libitum and fixed amounts of whole corn and soybean meal to meet the requirements for maintenance and daily gain. Grazing kids from each breed were stocked in groups and offered a new paddock every day. Dry matter intake was not different between breeds. Meat kids had a greater average daily gain than dairy kids but feeding treatments did not affect the growth rate. Dairy kids had greater anterior cuts (neck, shoulder), whereas meat kids tended to have greater posterior cuts (loin, leg). Meat kids accumulated more fat when they were fed concentrate in comparison with pasture, whereas this variable tended to be less influenced by dietary treatments in dairy kids. Meat of pasture-fed kids had greater Warner-Bratzler shear force and glycolytic potential, and lower ultimate pH than meat of concentrate-fed kids. The n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio of intramuscular fat was almost 4-fold greater in concentrate- then pasture-fed kids; this ratio was 1.4-fold greater in dairy than meat kids.