Meat Goat Carcass Merit Dr. Dwight Loveday University of Tennessee-Knoxville Department of Food Science & Technology

Meat Animal Selection Selection focuses on traits associated with carcass merit Carcass merit –Yield of usable product (cutability) –Quality of product

Grades and Grading Purpose is to sort into homogenous groups to facilitate marketing USDA grading for beef, lamb and pork –Yield Grades to predict cutability –Quality Grades to indicate palatability; flavor, juiciness and tenderness

Grades and Grading SpecieYield GradeQuality Grade Beef1, 2, 3, 4, 5Prime, Choice, Select, Standard Lamb1, 2, 3, 4, 5Prime, Choice, Good, Utility, Cull PorkU.S. 1, 2, 3, 4Utility GoatNone

Goat Carcass Cutability Carcass traits affecting lean meat yield –External fat

Goat Carcass Cutability Carcass traits affecting lean meat yield –External fat –Subcutaneous Fat Cover Score –Goats tend to have little fat over back muscles, unless overly fed

Subcutaneous Fat Cover Score Subcutaneous fat over shoulder, ribs, back and legs Overly fat carcasses have thin layer over back and thick cover over shoulders and ribs  1: minimum/none  2: rib/shoulder covered  3: excessive fat 12 3 Score

Goat Carcass Cutability Carcass traits affecting cutability –External fat –Internal fat (%KPH)

% Kidney, Pelvic & Heart Fat Expressed as percentage of carcass weight 1%2% 3.5%

Goat Carcass Cutability Carcass traits affecting cutability –Carcass weight Relative body size Body girth Limb circumference –Prefer carcasses less than 40 lbs –Reflection of goat type (genetics), nutrition and management

Goat Carcass Cutability Carcass traits affecting cutability –External fat –Internal fat (%KPH) –Carcass weight –Muscularity Has less effect than fatness Conformation scores

Goat Carcass Cutability Carcass traits affecting cutability –External fat –Internal fat (%KPH) –Carcass weight –Muscularity Has less effect than fatness Muscle cross section Conformation –Shape –Lean to bone

Goat Carcass Conformation Scores Rib eye muscle difficult to measure especially in light weight carcasses Little fat deposition over rib eye muscle Relative muscle thickness used to determine conformation Conformation expressed as a percentage Conformation expressed as Selection scores

Selection Classes 1 99 Top Selection Mid 1 00 Bottom 2 99 Top Selection Mid 2 00 Bottom 3 99 Top Selection Mid 3 00 Bottom

Selection No. 1 Have superior meat yields Thick, bulging leg muscles Full muscling in loin & rib (back strip) Thick sirloin muscles Thick shoulder muscles 1 50

Selection No. 2 Have moderate muscling Slightly thick, bulging leg muscles Slightly full muscling in loin & rib Depression at loin/leg junction Slightly thick shoulder muscles 2 50

Selection No. 3 Have a lower meat yield due to carcass narrowness Moderately full, slightly full outside leg muscles Shallow muscling in loin & rib Carcass has a shrunken appearance Slightly thin shoulder muscles 3 50

Comparison of Conformation Scores

Predication of Carcass Cutability (Texas A& M) Lamb Cutability Equation % Closely Trimmed Retail Cuts –Hot carcass wt., lbs –Adj. Fat thickness, in. –Body wall thickness, in. –Rib Eye Area, in 2. Developed from commercial, meat type goats % Semi-boneless, closely trimmed primals (leg,sirloin, loin, rack and shoulder) –Hot carcass wt., lbs –Body wall thickness, in. –Rib Eye Area, in 2.

Goat Carcass Quality Carcass traits affecting lean quality –No muscle cross section available –Flank Lean Color

Flank Lean Color Indicates physiological age Younger is lighter; older is darker due to greater muscle pigment “A” most desirable A: light grayish pink B: moderately dark red C: dark red B 30 A 30

How do you distinguish kid conformation types?

Selection 1 Market Kids Live goats have a superior meat type conformation; Thickly muscled throughout the body as indicated by a –bulging outside legs –full (rounded) back strip –moderately thick outside shoulder

Selection 1 Market Kids 1 50

Selection 2 Market Kids Live goats have a average meat type conformation; Moderately muscled throughout the body as indicated by a –Slightly thick outside legs –Slightly full (rounded) back strip –Slightly thick to slightly thin outside shoulder

Selection 2 Market Kids 2 50

Selection 3 Market Kids Live goats have an inferior meat type conformation; Thinly muscled throughout the body as indicated by a –Legs, back and shoulders are narrow –Body has angular, sunken appearance

Selection 3 Market Kids 3 70

Comparison of Live Goat Selection 1 2 3

Carcass Conformation Comparison of Live Goat Selection 1, 2 &

Selection Value Differences Slaughter Classes: Kids (Thompson Station, Oct 13, 2006) Selection lbs , few lbs , mostly lbs Few 84 lbs Few 105 lbs Few 127 lbs Selection lbs lbs lbs Selection lbs lbs lbs

2006 HLSR Champion Meat Goat

Summary Live Goat Evaluation –Kids for meat yield –Selection classification allows for grouping of goat carcasses with similar characteristics for value and marketing –Animal conformation main factor in determining value; Selection 1(Thick), 2 (Average) or 3 (Thin) –USDA Market News Reports use Selection Classification system for price reports

Summary Carcass Evaluation –Selection classification allows for grouping of goat carcasses with similar characteristics for value and marketing –Carcass Weight: < 40 pounds –Conformation Scores: Selection 1, 2 & 3 –External Fat Score: 1, 2 & 3 –% Kidney, Pelvic & Heart Fat –Flank Lean Color: A, B & C

Acknowledgements: Dr. Ken McMillin