PERFORMANCE OF BRITISH SAANEN, BOER X BRITISH SAANEN AND ANGLO-NUBIANCASTRATED MALE KIDS FROM 8 WEEKS TO SLAUGHTER AT 28-KG, 33-KG OR 38-KG LIVE WEIGHT

The performance of British Saanen, Boer X British Saanen and Anglo-Nub ian kids from weaning to slaughter at 28, 33 or 38 kg live weight (LW) was examined in a 3 X 3 factorial experiment. Kids were reared on a c oncentrate and hay ration, after weaning at 8 weeks of age. Intakes we re measured individually. At slaughter, carcasses and body fractions w ere weighed, left half-carcasses were dissected into muscle, fat and b one, and the carcass and non-carcass fractions were analysed chemicall y. There was no significant effect of breed type on mean daily intakes , but there was a significant breed-type effect on mean daily LW gains in the order British Saanen > Boer X British Saanen > Anglo-Nubian ki ds. Compared with the pure British Saanen kids, the Anglo-Nubian kids produced heavier carcasses yielding more muscle and less subcutaneous and intermuscular fat at each slaughter weight. By contrast, the Boer X British Saanen carcasses contained proportionately more fat, mainly intermuscular fat, than the British Saanen when slaughtered at 28 or 3 3 kg LW. When taken on to slaughter at 38 kg LW, the Boer X British Sa anen kids showed little further increase in fat deposition at the inte rnal and intermuscular sites compared with the British Saanens, result ing in carcasses with slightly more subcutaneous fat but lower overall carcass fat content.