Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare methods for estimative of body composition of goats based on tritiated water space technique (TOH), specific gravity (SG) of carcass and 9-11 th ribs. Ten Toggenburg x Alpine intact male goat kids, from 5.3±0.4 to 25.9±1.3 kg of body weight (BW), were used to estimate body composition by: 1) direct method, 2) TOH method, 3) SG of the carcass and 4) SG of the 9-11 th whole ribs. In addition, update linear equations for predicting body composition were developed using data from direct method. The TOH space overestimated water body composition on average 31%. The SG of the carcass and 9-11 th ribs underestimated water empty body composition (%) on average 21 and 12%, respectively. In spite of its overestimate, the determination of TOH space can be used as a reliable field technique to study relative changes in body composition of growing goats. Specific gravity is practicable in most circumstances and does not require expensive equipment. However, the SG of the carcass and 9-11 th ribs has not a valid equation to predict body composition of growing goats.
Highlights
Reliable estimation of chemical body composition in ruminants is of primary importance to the animal production and meat industry
Nutritionists desire the knowledge of body composition to properly estimate nutrient requirements and to understand body functions; breeders desire an estimate of body composition to elicit the desirable changes through selection programs; and the traders need a reliable method for the classification of carcasses for industry (Maeno, Oishi, & Hirooka, 2013)
Previous studies reported an overestimate of total body water (TBw) by TOH space, the overestimate reported in this study was greater than those previously reported
Summary
Reliable estimation of chemical body composition in ruminants is of primary importance to the animal production and meat industry. Indirect methods to obtain readily body and carcass composition would benefit both animal production and meat research. The tritiated water space technique (TOH) for determining body composition has been successfully applied in ruminants (Viljoen, Coetzee, & Meissner, 1988, Benjamin, Koenig, & Becker, 1993). This methodology has the advantage of being an in vivo procedure, allowing repeated measurements in the same animal. Other indirect methods that require post-mortem of the farm animal have received considerable attention, such as the specific gravity (SG), which results from the density of body or carcass components, and the variation in fat content
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