Influence of maternal breed on meat goat carcass characteristics.
R. Browning, Jr., C. Chisley, O. Phelps, S.H. Kebe, B. Donnelly, M. Byars, and T. Payton
Tennessee State University, Nashville
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Baton Rouge, LA

Spanish x Boer (n = 16) and Spanish x Kiko (n = 18) wethers (7 mo) and bucklings (5 mo) were harvested under USDA inspection to evaluate the effect of dam breed on carcass traits of crossbred kids. Boer and Kiko dams, respectively, originated from five and seven seedstock farms. Each dam was purebred or fullblood (93.75% to 100%). Traits of interest included live weight and conformation score, carcass grade, carcass weight, dressing percentage, wholesale cut weights, and edible meat yield. Live weight tended to differ (P = 0.08) between Boer (22.96 +/- 0.94 kg) and Kiko kids (25.6 +/- 1 kg). Hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, and dressing percentage tended to be greater (P </- 0.1) for Kiko than for Boer F1 kids. Kids out of Boer dams had similar (P = 0.29) live conformation scores as their contemporaries out of Kiko dams. Carcass grade scores for Kiko F1 tended to be better (P = 0.08) than those for Boer F1 kids. Paired shoulder and hind leg primal cuts were heavier (P < 0.05) for Kiko (1.66 +/- 0.08 kg; 3.05 +/- 0.14 kg) compared to Boer (1.41 +/- 0.08 kg; 2.59 +/- 0.13 kg). Paired foreleg and loin weights for Kiko (2.11 +/- 0.1 kg; 1.5 +/- 0.09 kg) tended to be heavier (P</- 0.10) than for Boer (1.85 +/- 0.1 kg; 1.28 +/- 0.09 kg).

Rib weights were not different (P > 0.2) between breeds of dam. However, when wholesale cut weights were adjusted for carcass weight, only the hind leg tended to be heavier (P = 0.06) for Kiko-cross kids than for Boer-cross kids. Proportional edible meat yields and meat to bone ratios from shoulder, loin, and hind leg were not affected (P > 0.15) by breed of dam. Preliminary results suggest that breed of dam may affect carcass traits from commonly sired crossbred kids.