The influence of sex and carcass weight on carcass composition of Serrana kids

This work aims to evaluate sex and carcass weight effects on carcass composition of kids. Sixty Serrana kids (31 male and 29 female), a Portuguese breed, were used. Kids were slaughtered after 24 h fasting. Carcasses were cooled at 4°C for 24 h, halved and left side was dissected into muscle, subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, bone and remainder (major blob vessels, ligaments, tendons, thick connective tissue sheets). Kidney, knob and channel fat (KKCF) was considered as a carcass component since in Portugal kid's carcasses are commercialised with KKCF included. Female kids presented higher (P < 0.05) intermuscular fat proportion, muscle/bone ratio and KKCF than males, however, male kids had higher (P < 0.05) bone proportion and muscle/fat ratio. All fat depots increased and bone proportion decreased (P < 0.05) with carcass weight increasing. Carcass weight increasing induced muscle/bone ratio increasing (P < 0.05) and muscle/fat ratio decreasing (P < 0.05). Female kids should be slaughtered at lower live weight in order to minimize the carcass fatness development. In spite of the differences in tissue proportions induced by carcass weight, heavier kids (8 kg) weren't excessively fattened, indicating that they can be slaughtered at higher live weights without compromise carcass quality