Effect of feeding raw or water soaked rapeseed cake on carcass characteristics and meat quality in kids

Abstract

Growing male kids (18) of 11.10± 0.77 kg BW, 6 months age were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments of 6 each. Groundnut cake of the concentrate mixture of control group (GNC) was replaced by rapeseed-mustard cake (RMC) in group 2 and 3, but the concentrate in group 3 was soaked with water (1:3) overnight and fed as mixed ration (sani) with wheat straw. In other groups, respective concentrate mixtures were offered in the morning and wheat straw was offered ad lib. During an experimental period of 180 days, fortnightly body weight changes of kids were recorded. The glucosinolates (GLS) content of RMC was 149.50 μmol/g DM which was reduced by 31.96% after overnight water soaking. DM intake in group 3 was reduced as compared to other groups. All the kids were slaughtered at the end of the experimental feeding. Preslaughter weight (PSW), carcass yield, carcass length and loin eye area of kids were similar between control and group 2, while all of these were significantly (P<0.05) lower in group 3 than that in control group. While yield of wholesale cuts and, edible and non-edible visceral organs were comparable among groups, weight (g/kg of PSW) of liver and pluck was significantly higher in groups 2 and 3 than in control group. Chemical composition, physico-chemical properties and thiocyanate concentration of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle did not differ significantly among groups. Organoleptic scores of pressure cooked LD muscle sample with salt (1.5% w/w) were comparable among the groups; however, tenderness score was slightly poor in groups 2 and 3. It may be concluded that despite reduction in GLS content of RMC based supplement by overnight water soaking, its feeding as mixed ration (sani) to growing kids had no positive effect in terms of meat quality attributes.