Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and post-weaning ADG are important selection criteria.
Where resources are available, the choice for larger body
size with more capacity to consume feed is desired for
milk production. The choice for the size of carcass differs
among cultures. In some countries, small carcasses are
valued whereas larger, older carcasses are preferred in
other cultures.
country like India, goat meat provides 47% of the total
meat consumed in India because beef consumption is taboo
(MLA, 2007). Goat meat often is considered to be healthier
than mutton because goat meat is lower in fat and choles-
terol, being more comparable to lean meat from chickens.
Another unique characteristic of goat meat is the low extent
of marbling within muscle tissues (Solaiman et al., 2006).
The major factors involved with selection of meat goat
breeds are their growth rate, feed effi ciency, total edible
and salable percentage of the animal, dressing percen-
tage, and carcass traits including fl avor, tenderness, juici-
ness, and cooking loss. Adaptability to local environmental
conditions and feed resources also is important. The type of
goat meat preferred will vary with cultural traditions. In
some cultures, goat age and sex are important while in other
cultures they are not. Similarly, in some cultures, in addi-
tion to income from carcasses as the salable product, the
economic and religious signifi cance of specifi c noncarcass
components are highly valued (Shrestha and Fahmy, 2005).
According to Devendra (1981), the types of meat
produced and consumed in the tropics will include meat
from kids (Category 1: usually 8-12 weeks old), meat from
young goats (Category 2: 1-2 years old), and meat from
old goats (Category 3: 2-6 years old). For the fi rst cate-
gory, breed selection should be based on pre-weaning
growth rate, whereas for the second category, both pre- and
post-weaning growth rates need to be considered. For the
fi nal category, less emphasis is placed on growth rate than
on meat quality.
Leanness of carcass is another universally desired crite-
rion because it refl ects the quantity of salable components.
For rapid improvement of performance of meat goat pro-
ductivity, emphasis should be placed on crossbreeding and
formation of composite breed populations (Shrestha and
Fahmy, 2007). Obviously, emphasis on selection must also
consider production levels and resource availability. The
ideal type will be different for subsistence- based, market -
based, and high input production systems. The most prom-
inent meat goat breeds are listed in this chapter. Although
most breeds lack specifi c standards, where they are avail-
able, those standards are listed.
Carcass Characteristics
The proportion of muscle to bone is one major criterion
for selecting a meat-type goat. Although other traits can
be measured on live animals, this trait is measured when
animals are slaughtered. The higher the proportion of
muscle to bone, the better the animal is rated for meat
production. One carcass characteristic often measured is
dressing percentage—the proportion of live weight found
in the carcass. Dressing percentage for goats usually is
50% or less. Fat content of the carcass increases as the
animal ages and develops, but goats usually have a lower
proportion of fat in their carcass than other domestic
animals. Lower fat content makes goat a desirable product
for precooked diet meals. As the animal ages and fattens,
the proportion of bone in the carcass decreases while the
proportion of lean stays relatively constant.
Productivity
Productivity of animals in the herd is their yield in terms
of meat, milk, or fi ber. With accurate records, an individual
animals' productivity can be measured to aid in selection
for maximum productivity. For milk production, produc-
tivity usually is measured as the amount of milk produced
and effi ciency of milk production. Both the amount and
quality of fi ber produced are important factors for selection
of fi ber goats.
When conception rate in the herd increases, litter size
will increase, more kids are weaned per doe in a year, and
the productivity of the herd increases. But if it takes longer
to breed back the doe, or if the doe produces lower-weight
kids with lower ADG, a longer time will be required for
kids to achieve desirable weaning weights reducing pro-
ductivity in terms of meat production. In a dairy or fi ber-
producing enterprise, animal productivity usually is
measured in terms of milk or fi ber production.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MEAT
GOAT BREEDS
Most of the world's goat population is used for meat pro-
duction, but in western countries, goats may be used for
milk, meat, or fi ber production. The dwarf goat breeds of
Asia and Africa are exclusively considered as meat animals
(Gall, 1981). For instance, in a predominantly Hindu
Black Bengal
Also known as Bengal, this dual-purpose breed is used for
both meat and milk production in west Bengal, Bihar, and
Orissa regions of northeastern India (Acharya, 1982). Its
skin is used extensively for making high quality shoes in
India. The Bengal is the predominant breed of Bangladesh.
Known for its prolifi cacy and kidding twice a year with
60% twins and 20% triplets (Sengar, 1976), Bengal are
