Carcass and meat traits of goats fed diets containing cottonseed cake.

The cottonseed cake has the necessary nutritional characteristics to be able to substitute the traditional ingredients (such as soybean meal) and reduce the costs of the diet. However, it is necessary to determine the best level of inclusion of cottonseed cake in the diets of fattening goats to improve meat production and quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass and meat traits of feedlot goats fed diets containing cottonseed cake replacing soybean meal (33 %, 66 % and 100 %). Thirty-two uncastrated Boer crossbred goats (4 months old, 16  ±  2 kg initial body weight) were used in a completely randomized experimental design. Replacing soybean meal with cottonseed did not compromise ( P > 0.05 ) slaughter weight, carcass traits (dressing percentage, loin-eye area and back-fat thickness), primal cuts or carcass morphometric measurements; moisture, protein, or total lipid contents of meat; or the physicochemical traits of color ( L * , a * and b * coordinates), pH, shear force, and cooking loss. However, there was a reduction ( P = 0.001 ) in the mineral matter content (from 1.08 % to 0.97 %) and an increase ( P = 0.006 ) in the cholesterol content (from 50.85 to 70.55 mg/100 g of meat) of the meat as the dietary levels of cottonseed cake were increased. Based on the results of production and meat quality, we recommend using cottonseed cake as an alternative protein source to replace up to 100 % of soybean meal in feedlot goat diets.

Effect of high-concentrate diets with calcium lignosulfonate and cottonseed processing method on quantitative traits and non-carcass components of feedlot cull ewes.

This study examined the effects of cottonseed processing form and the inclusion of calcium lignosulfonate in high-concentrate diets for feedlot cull ewes on carcass traits and non-carcass components. Thirty Santa Inês cull ewes with an average body weight of 44.2  ±  5.2 kg and an average age of 50 months were distributed into collective stalls in a completely randomized design. The treatments consisted of diets including whole cottonseed, crushed cottonseed, whole cottonseed treated with lignosulfonate (100 g/kg, as fed), crushed cottonseed treated with lignosulfonate (100 g/kg, as fed), and a control diet without cottonseed. The experimental diets did not influence ( P > 0.05 ) average daily weight gain (0.195 kg/day), slaughter weight (51.74 kg), or in vivo biometric and on-carcass measurements. There was no difference ( P > 0.05 ) in loin-eye area or subcutaneous fat thickness as evaluated in vivo by ultrasound. There was no diet effect on hot carcass weight and yield (24.8 kg and 47.8 %), cold carcass weight and yield (24.2 kg and 46.8 %), or chilling loss (2.1 %). Non-carcass components did not differ in response to the diets ( P > 0.05 ). Dietary inclusion of calcium lignosulfonate increases the proportions of udder and liver relative to empty body weight ( P < 0.05 ). Neither the cottonseed processing method nor the inclusion of calcium lignosulfonate in high-concentrate diets for cull ewes affects their performance, biometric or morphometric measurements, non-carcass components, or qualitative traits of their carcass.