Effect of concentrate supplementation on fattening performance and carcass composition of finished meat-goat kids

A study on the effective usage of the concentrated feed supplement to Boer meat goat kids was carried out within the framework of the project ‘Zootechnical and economic efficiency of feeding of fodder pulses to ruminant’s meat production’. Since the Boer goat breed in Latvia is still very rare, there is a lack of experience in the feeding and production of meat goat for better carcass traits and meat quality. This study was arranged in autumn period, using the Boer cross breed male kids born in 2018. In control group (OG) four kids were kept together with mothers till finishing and were fed by oats as concentrated feed supplement. In research group (BG) four goat kids were weaned from mothers and placed in shed to explain influence of mix of 85% of oats and 15% of fodder beans as protein supplement to the fattening outcomes. In the trial kids were weighed at the starting and ending of the trial. Carcass quality is assessed according to the European standard for the classification of carcasses of sheep, where EUROP letter designations have been used to denote musculature development, and the fat deposition level is indicated by numbers 1–5. The length of the carcass and the circumference of the hips were measured using the tape measure. The carcasses were analyzed by type of tissue: muscle, bone, fat. The fastest growing rate during the fattening period of 72 days was given to BG kids with a mean daily live weight gain of 72 g, while the OG kids achieved 69 g. After slaughter, the carcass yield of OG kids was from 42.5% to 51.4%, but for BG kids was 38.5% to 42.5%. The quality of the obtained carcasses was an average, and score for musculature was from R to P class, but the average score for fat deposition was from 2.25 to 2.75 points and higher fat cover was observed in BG kids. Higher proportion of lean meat (59.1%) and fat tissues (16.3%) were observed to OG kids, but higher proportion of bone (25.9%) was in BG kid’s carcasses. The consumption of concentrated feed for 1 kg of live weight gain indicates the conversion of feed nutrients. The consumption of oats per kilogram of live weight gain was 3.21 kg for OG kids, but the consumption of the feed mix of oats and beans for BG kids was 2.83 kg. Based on physical parameters of goat kid carcass and high level of lean meat, fattening of Boer cross breed goat kids by using of oats or feed mix can be an ideal choice for farmers, which try to find new products and free market for consumers.