Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
13
Meat Production and Quality
K.W. McMillin , PhD
KEY TERMS
Average daily gain—change in weight between two time periods divided by the days between the two time periods.
Composition—chemical nutrient or physical tissue components that comprise the entity being described.
Carcass—the base structure portion of the live animal remaining after removal of hide, head, limb extremities, and
viscera during slaughter.
Conformation—the general form, shape, contour, or outline of the carcass, side, or cut that indicates the relative pro-
portions of lean to fat and bone.
Development—progression of increased complexity of a living organism due to differential rate of change in individual
body components.
Dressing percentage—proportion of the live weight that is the carcass of the animal.
Grade—a group of animals, carcasses, or meat cuts having similarly defi ned quality traits that estimate juiciness,
tenderness, and fl avor palatability or yield (cutability) traits that estimate the amount of edible meat from weight,
fatness, and muscling factors.
Growth—any change in weight, size, shape, form, composition, or structure over time.
Meat — edible organs or tissues from the animal.
OBJECTIVES
By completing this chapter, the reader will acquire knowledge on:
•
The different growth stages and patterns of tissue deposition of kid goats
•
I n fl uences on growth and body composition of kid goats before weaning
•
Effects on growth and body composition of kid goats from weaning to marketing
•
Appraisal of live kid goats for muscling, fatness, and structural traits
•
The evaluation and characteristics of meat goat carcasses
•
Meat goat traits and differences in goat meat quality
•
The nutrient composition of different goat meat sources
INTRODUCTION
The quality and quantity of goat meat is highly dependent
upon production and husbandry practices for meat goats.
The growth and development of goats is highly variable
with genetic and environmental infl uences of breed, sex,
nutrition, growth-promoting agents, and climate. This
chapter will describe growth of goat kids, effects on growth
before and after weaning, kid market goat evaluation, meat
goat carcass characteristics and evaluation, goat meat traits
and factors infl uencing goat meat quality, and nutrient
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