Effect of sex and carcass weight on carcass traits and meat quality in goat kids of Cabrito Transmontano

This work aims to study sex and carcass weight effect on carcass and meat quality characteristics of a protected designation of origin (PDO) product, cabrito Transmontano. A total of 60 animals with carcass weight ranging between 4 and 8 kg were used. Carcass conformation, commercial joints, tissues measurements and proportions, carcass pH, meat colour and meat texture were evaluated. Sex had a significant effect on carcass composition and males had higher bone and less intermuscular fat and kidney knob and channel fat proportion than females. Males showed better carcass compactness as a result of a higher hot carcass weight (HCW)/carcass length (K) ratio. Carcass weight significantly affected carcass joint proportion. As the carcass weight increased there was an increase in carcass linear measurements, carcass compactness, chump and breast proportions, fat depots and tissues measurements and a decrease in leg, shoulder, fore ribs and bone proportion. Increasing carcass weight meat became less luminous with more vivid red colour as a result of a progressive brightness reduction and a redness increment. Consequently hue and chroma parameters went through a significant increase and decrease, respectively. A significant effect of carcass weight was found in longissimus dorsi muscle measurements, and muscle area increased as well the subcutaneous fat thickness. Carcass weight also had a significant effect on meat texture measured by Warner-Bratzler shear force, which reduced its value as carcass weight increased. The meat quality parameters studied could be a tool to identify and characterize a product with PDO as cabrito Transmonstano. Additional key words: carcass pH; goat meat; meat colour; tissue proportion