JOINTING COMPOSITION AND CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF CREOLE GOATS AS INFLUENCED BY BODY CONDITION

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of body conditi on estimated by a body composition score of 5 levels (BCS) on slaughte r traits, tissue composition of empty body weight (EBW), and jointing and chemical composition of carcass in Creole does. During 3 months, 3 groups of 6 Creole female goats were fed 3 different diets composed o f Panicum maximum and concentrate,to induce different body composition s. Means of BCS were 1.8, 2.4, 3.1 for groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The body composition was assessed after slaughter, by the weight of d ifferent fat tissues in EDW, skin appendages and dressed carcass, and by the dissection and chemical analysis of the left shoulder freezed f or 24 hr at 4 degrees C. The EBW ranged from 16.9 to 21.4 kg. The adip ose tissues of the carcasses estimated from the dissection of the shou lder varied from 7.3 to 11.5% of shoulder. The total adipose tissues i n EBW ranged from 7.1 to 15.2% EBW. Chemical composition of muscle and adi pose tissue was greatly affected by body condition. The mass loss es in EBW. The mass losses in EBW mass (4.5 kg for group 3 vs group 1: 1.7 kg for group 3 vs group 2) were composed by the abdominal adipose tissue for 34 to 50%, and 51 to 48% by the carcass, respectively, for groups 1 and 2