Carcass characteristics and meat quality of feedlot goat kids fed high-concentrate diets with licury cake

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the carcass characteristics and meat quality of feedlot goat kids fed high-concentrate diets with licury cake. Forty crossbreed non-castrated Boer × mixed breed goat kids with an average age of 4 months and an initial average body weight of 20.15 ± 2.79 kg were randomly distributed in a completely randomized design with four experimental diets containing licury cake at 0, 10, 20, and 30% of total dry matter. Dry matter, crude protein, and total digestible nutrient intakes were reduced linearly (P < 0.01) from the inclusion of 10% of licury cake in the goat kids’ diet. Slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weights and yields decreased (P < 0.01) from the inclusion of 10% of licury cake. Lightness (P = 0.032), redness (P = 0.012) and yellowness (P = 0.021) increased, whereas the Warner-Bratzler shear force decreased (P = 0.032) with the licury cake inclusion in goat kids diets. Licury cake promoted a quadratic increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, CLA precursors (C18:1 trans 11 and C18:2 n-6), and desirable fatty acids. The use of up to 10% licury cake in diets for goat kids maintains the carcass weight and yield, increase lauric (C:12), vaccenic (C18:1 trans-11), linoleic (C18:2 n-6), linolenic (C18:3 n-3), and desirable fatty acids in meat. This level of use of licury cake is, therefore, recommended for use in high-concentrate diets for feedlot goat kids.