Carcass Traits and Palatability of Barbados Sheep and Spanish Goats Raised Under Feedlot Conditions

Abstract

Data from 72 adult females consisting of 36 Barbados ewes and 36 Spanish goat nannies with their offspring were used to determine carcass traits, dressing weights, shear force values and eating quality of the two species. An analysis of variance for carcass weights, dressed weights, shear force values, uncooked weights, cooked weights, and weight loss showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) between weights of Barbados lambs and Spanish kids. In sensory evaluation of the Barbados sheep and the Spanish goats, the seven sensory panelists evaluated both meat of tbe lambs and kids as acceptable. Panelists were unable to tell the difference between the meat of the two species. Shear force values did not differ significantly between species. Therefore, this study suggests that Barbados lamb may be interchangeahle witb Spanisb goat meat (of similar maturity and weight) with regard to palatability attributes.