Carcass parameters and meat quality in meat-goat kids finished on chicory, birdsfoot trefoil, or red clover pastures

Meat Science 105 (2015) 68–74

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Carcass parameters and meat quality in meat-goat kids finished on chicory, birdsfoot trefoil, or red clover pastures K.E. Turner a,⁎, K.A. Cassida b, H.N. Zerby c, M.A. Brown a a b c

USDA, ARS, Grazinglands Research Laboratory, El Reno, OK 73036, USA Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA Meat Science, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history: Received 31 July 2014 Received in revised form 20 November 2014 Accepted 2 March 2015 Available online 11 March 2015 Keywords: Goat Pasture-finished Chicory Birdsfoot trefoil Red clover Carcass Meat quality

a b s t r a c t This study was conducted during the 2009 and 2010 grazing seasons to assess carcass parameters and chevon (goat meat) quality when meat-goat kids (n = 72) were finished on pastures of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; BFT), or chicory (Cichorium intybus L.; CHIC). Final live weight (P b 0.05) and carcass weight (P = 0.10) were greater when goats were finished on RCL compared to CHIC with BFT being intermediate. Ribeye area, backfat thickness, body wall thickness, internal fat score, and leg score were not different (P N 0.10) among treatments when adjusted for the covariate of carcass weight. Finishing meat-goat kids on RCL, BFT, or CHIC impacted concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) 18:1 trans-10, 18:1 cis-11, 18:2, 18:3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-6, omega-3, and PUFA:saturated fatty acid ratio in longissimus lumborum samples. Finishing meat-goat kids on CHIC, RCL, or BFT pastures produced carcass weights acceptable for most ethnic markets in the USA. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

1. Introduction Meat goat production in the Appalachian Region of the eastern USA is a niche-market opportunity for small-resource producers supplying chevon (goat meat) to many ethnic markets. Most ethnic markets in the USA prefer lighter (18–36 kg live weight) goat kids and carcasses with little or no fat (Karanjkar, Hakim, & Patil, 2000; Singh-Knights & Knights, 2005) over heavier (N36 kg live weight) animals and carcasses (Farris, 2004). For these niche markets, the lighter weight, less finished meat-goat carcasses produced from pasture-based finishing systems with rotational stocking management are acceptable to consumers. In the eastern USA, two challenges facing producers finishing meat goats on pasture include gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) control and selection of appropriate forage species to targeted animal weight gain, carcass traits, and meat quality. Several forages show promise to meet these challenges for meat goat production in the Appalachian Region of the USA. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a cool-season, shortlived perennial legume that is well adapted to the eastern USA (Taylor & Smith, 1995). Its unique feature is its ability to form protein-binding o-quinones upon tissue disruption (Jones, Hatfield, & Muck, 1995) which may improve protein utilization by grazing animals. Red clover

⁎ Corresponding author at: USDA, ARS, Grazinglands Research Laboratory, 7207 West Cheyenne Street, El Reno, OK 73036, USA. E-mail address: [email protected] (K.E. Turner).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.03.005 0309-1740/Published by Elsevier Ltd.

pasture has improved resilience to GIN for improved performance (Turner, Cassida, & Zajac, 2013) by meat goats. Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), a cool-season perennial legume (Beuselinck & Grant, 1995), contains condensed tannins which have reduced GIN (Molan, Waghorn, & McNabb, 1999) compared to legumes that do not contain condensed tannins. Forages containing condensed tannins typically improved protein utilization and weight gain by lambs compared to nontannin-containing alfalfa (Wang et al., 1996). Forage-type chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a perennial forb (Hall & Jung, 2008) that contains sesquiterpene lactones and condensed tannin that may reduce GIN infection (Foster, Cassida, & Turner, 2011; Molan, Duncan, Barry, & McNabb, 2003) for improved lamb weight gain (Turner, Belesky, & Fedders, 1999). Finishing lambs on pasture or feeding forages containing secondary metabolites impacted carcass characteristics (Bonanno et al., 2011) and meat quality (Lourenço, Van Ranst, Vlaeminck, De Smet, & Fievez, 2008). Much of the published data relate the impact of forages and plant secondary metabolites on carcass parameters and meat quality in sheep and cattle (Rochfort, Parker, & Dunshea, 2008). There is little information available on carcass parameters and meat quality when meat goats are finished on pasture using management intensive grazing systems in a temperate environment. Therefore, the objective of this research was to assess carcass parameters and chevon quality, including meat fatty acid profiles, when meatgoat kids were finished on pastures of red clover, birdsfoot trefoil, or chicory.

K.E. Turner et al. / Meat Science 105 (2015) 68–74

2. Materials and methods Experimental protocols using meat goats in this grazing study were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee associated with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, Beaver, WV, USA. 2.1. Pastures The grazing experiment was conducted for two consecutive years during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Pastures were located in Raleigh County, WV, USA (37°45′N, 80°58′W, 875 m elevation). Prairie bromegrass (Bromus catharticus Vahl.) cv. ‘Lakota’ pastures were interseeded with 1) birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) cv. ‘Pardee’; 2) red clover (RCL) cv. ‘Cinnamon Plus’; or 3) chicory (CHIC) cv. ‘Oasis’. Because of the superior growth of CHIC, little (if any) prairie bromegrass established in CHIC pastures. The nine pastures represented three replicates of the three forages (RCL, BFT, and CHIC); pastures were established in a randomized complete block design. Each 0.2-ha pasture was subdivided into ten 0.02-ha paddocks for grazing management using rotational stocking, similar to Turner et al. (2013). Grazing began on 26 May until 29 Sep in 2009 and on 24 May until 20 Sep in 2010. 2.2. Meat-goat kids Seventy-two meat-goat kids (wethers), at least 75% Boer breeding and 6-mo of age, were used each year in 2009 and 2010. Goat kids were randomly assigned, based on initial BW (mean 22.7 ± 0.4 kg in 2009, and mean 22.6 ± 0.4 kg in 2010), to nine groups. Each group contained 8 animals and groups were randomly assigned to the nine pastures. Prior to the start of grazing, animals were vaccinated and boostered against tetanus and enterotoxemia (Bar Vac® CD/T, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., St. Joseph, MO, USA) and dewormed to control GIN with a combination of three orally administered commercial anthelmintics: benzimidazole (Valbazen® 15 mg kg BW−1); tetrahydropyrimidine (Prohibit®, 8 mg kg BW−1); and macrocyclic lactone (Ivomec®, 400 μg kg BW−1) (Turner et al., 2013) with any subsequent dewormings based on individual animal need using the FAMACHA© system (Kaplan et al., 2004). Based on preliminary data and FAMACHA© scores, meat‐goat kids grazing RCL were administered less dosing events of anthelmintics compared to those grazing BFT and CHIC (Turner, Cassida, and Zajac, unpublished data). Animals had access to water and a commercial mineral mixture containing major macro- and micro-minerals and vitamins A, D, and E formulated for goats (Southern States, Beckley, WV, USA) during the grazing season. Body weight was recorded throughout the grazing season. 2.3. Carcass Gut fill can influence body weights; we shrunk the animals overnight (no pasture/forage access, but access to water) to remove a gut fill effect for a better relative comparison of final live BW which was recorded prior to transporting animals to a packing plant in Eighty Four, PA, USA. In 2009 and 2010, harvest of animals followed Halal (Grandin & Regenstein, 1994) protocols with the exception that heads were removed. Collection of carcass parameters [cold carcass weight (CCW), ribeye area (REA), backfat thickness, body wall thickness (BWALL) and leg, lean quality, and conformation scores] and a longissimus lumborum muscle sample followed procedures as outlined by Turner, Cassida, and Zerby (2014). In 2009 and 2010 the same trained specialist subjectively determined leg score, lean quality score, and overall conformation score using the USDA (1982) standards (1 to15; 1 = low Cull, 15 = high Prime). In addition, the intraperitoneal (IP) fat was estimated subjectively by the same trained specialist and recorded as 1 = least and 5 = most for each carcass. Dress out was calculated using the CCW divided by final live BW then multiplied by 100 to express as a

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percentage. Along with REA and conformation score, the REA:CCW ratio was calculated to also estimate meatiness of the carcasses. 2.4. Longissimus lumborum samples—proximate analyses and fatty acid profiles A sample of loin meat (longissimus lumboroum) was collected from the right side of a subset of carcasses in 2009 (n = 36) and 2010 (n = 36). Samples were vacuum-packaged and frozen at −20 °C until analyzed for proximate components [ash, crude protein (CP), and intramuscular fat (IMF) concentrations] and fatty acid (FA) profiles. Proximate analyses, extraction of total fat, and FA profiles of meat samples followed procedures as outlined by Turner, Cassida, and Zerby (2014). The FAs were grouped into functional groups which included: monosunsaturated FA (MUFA), polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), saturated FA (SFA), omega-6 FA, omega-3 FA, and desirable FA (Turner, Belesky, Cassida, & Zerby, 2014). Ratios of MUFA:PUFA, PUFA:SFA and omega6:omega-3 were also calculated. 2.5. Statistical analyses The final live BW, overall ADG, carcass parameters, meat proximate analyses, and FA profile data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA) as a randomized complete block (based on the blocked field layout for the pasture treatments) with repeated years. In the linear model, year, pasture treatment, and year × treatment were designated as fixed effects, while the random effects were replicate, replicate × treatment, and replicate × year pooled with replicate × year × treatment. Pairwise comparisons among means were done using t-statistics at P b 0.05, with P ≤ 0.10 considered a trend. Cold carcass weight was used as a covariate on carcass traits. Variables with a significant (P b 0.05) covariate were REA, backfat thickness, BWALL thickness, leg score, and conformation score. For these traits, least square means adjusted for CCW are also presented. 3. Results There were no year × pasture treatment interactions (P N 0.10) for any of the parameters. 3.1. Final body weight, overall weight gain, and carcass parameters There was a year effect for overall liveweight gain in that ADG (g/d ± SEM) was less (P b 0.05) in 2009 (52.7 ± 3.5) compared to 2010 (65.2 ± 3.5). In addition, dress out percentage (53.0 vs 50.5 ± 0.4), backfat thickness (1.08 vs 0.74 ± 0.07 mm), and IP fat score (2.8 vs 1.8 ± 0.2) were greater (P b 0.01) in 2009 compared to 2010 while BWALL thickness (0.92 vs 1.12 ± 0.03 cm) was less (P b 0.01) in 2009 than 2010. Final live BW and CCW were greater (P b 0.05) for goat kids finished on RCL compared to CHIC; BFT was intermediate (Table 1). Dress out percentage was greater (P b 0.10) when goat kids were finished on CHIC compared to BFT; RCL was intermediate. The REA ranged from 8.7 to 9.8 cm2 and BWALL thickness ranged from 0.93 to 1.06 cm. When adjusted to a common carcass weight difference, REA and BWALL thickness were similar among meat‐goat kids finished on the three pastures. The REA:CCW ratio, lean quality score, and conformation score were not different (P N 0.10) when goat kids were finished on the three herbages. The leg score followed a similar trend (P b 0.10) as final BW; however, the covariate of CCW was significant (P b 0.001) for these factors (plus conformation score) and adjusted means were not different among treatments (Table 2). Backfat thickness and IP fat scores were higher for goats finished on RCL compared to CHIC while those finished on BFT were intermediate. Backfat thickness and IP fat scores when adjusted for CCW were not different (P N 0.10) among pasture finishing treatments.

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K.E. Turner et al. / Meat Science 105 (2015) 68–74

Table 1 Carcass parameters when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover (RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), or chicory (CHIC) pastures during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Data are least square means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Item⁎

RCL

Final live BW, kg ADG, g/d CCW, kg Dress out, % REA, cm2 REA:CCW ratio Back fat, mm IP fat score‡ BWALL thickness, cm Leg score§ Lean quality score§ Conformation score§

BFT a

29.4 71.1a 15.4a 51.7a,b 9.8a 0.64 1.1a 2.6a 1.10a 10.6a 10.3 10.6

a,b

28.4 62.0a 14.5a,b 50.9b 9.4a,b 0.65 0.9a,b 2.3a,b 1.03a,b 10.5a,b 10.5 10.5

CHIC

SEM

P level†

b

0.7 4.4 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.02 0.1 0.2 0.04 0.2 0.2 0.2

b0.05 b0.001 =0.10 b0.10 =0.10 NS =0.07 =0.10 =0.09 =0.10 NS NS

25.9 43.7b 13.7b 52.6a 8.7b 0.64 0.7b 2.1b 0.93b 10.1b 10.7 10.2

a,b

Means within a row with unlike letters differ at the P level listed. ⁎ Body weight, BW; average daily gain, ADG; cold carcass weight, CCW; ribeye area, REA; body wall, BWALL. † Not significant, NS, at P N 0.10. ‡ Intraperitoneal (IP) fat estimated subjectively as 1 = least and 5 = most. § 1 = low Cull, 15 = high Prime (USDA, 1982).

3.2. Proximate analyses Ash (mean 4.6%) and IMF (mean 0.8%) concentrations in longissimus meat samples were not different (P N 0.10) when meat-goat kids were finished on RCL, BFT, or CHIC pastures (Table 3). The CP in longissimus muscle was greater (P = 0.10) when goat kids were finished on CHIC compared to RCL; BFT was intermediate.

3.3. Fatty acid profiles Fatty acid profiles in longissimus meat samples collected from meatgoat kids finished on the three pastures are listed in Table 4. The FAs in the highest concentrations were: 18:1 cis-9, 16:0, 18:0, 18:2, and 20:4. Meat from goat kids finished on BFT was higher (P b 0.10) in FAs 18:1 trans-10 and 18:1 cis-11 compared to goat kids finished on RCL; CHIC was intermediate. Goat kids finished on CHIC had higher concentrations of FAs 18:2 (P b 0.05), 18:3 (P b 0.05), and PUFA (P b 0.10) than goat kids finished on RCL and BFT which were both similar. Concentrations of omega-6 and the PUFA:SFA ratio were higher (P b 0.10) in longissimus samples when goat kids were finished on CHIC compared to those finished on BFT; RCL was intermediate. Omega-3 concentrations were higher (P b 0.10) in longissimus muscle when goat kids

Table 2 Carcass parameters using the covariate of cold carcass weight when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover (RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), or chicory (CHIC) pastures during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Data are least square means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Itema 2

REA, cm Back fat, mm BWALL thickness, cm IP fat scorec Leg scored a b c d

RCL

BFT

CHIC

SEM

P levelb

9.3 1.03 1.04 2.4 10.4

9.4 0.93 1.03 2.3 10.5

9.2 0.78 0.99 2.3 10.2

0.3 0.09 0.04 0.12 0.1

NS NS NS NS NS

Ribeye area, REA; body wall, BWALL. Not significant, NS, P N 0.10. Intraperitoneal (IP) fat estimated subjectively as 1 = least and 5 = most. 1 = low Cull, 15 = high Prime (USDA, 1982).

Table 3 Ash, crude protein (CP), and intramuscular fat (IMF) concentrations in Longissimus muscle samples collected from carcasses when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover (RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), or chicory (CHIC) pastures during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Data are least square means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Item

RCL

BFT

CHIC

SEM

P level†

Ash, % CP, % IMF, %

4.6 22.3b 0.7

4.6 23.0a,b 1.0

4.6 25.6a 0.8

0.1 1.0 0.3

NS =0.10 NS

a,b

Means within a row with unlike letters differ at the P level listed. Not significant, NS, P N 0.10.

†

were finished on CHIC compared to those finished on RCL; BFT was intermediate. The remaining individual FAs, SFAs, MUFAs, DFAs, Omega-6:Omega3 ratio, and MUFA:PUFA ratio in longissimus muscle meat were not different (P N 0.10) when goat kids were finished on RCL, BFT, or CHIC pastures (Table 4).

Table 4 Fatty acid profile in longissimus meat samples from carcasses when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover (RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), or chicory (CHIC) pastures during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Data are least square means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Fatty acid concentration is g/100 g of lipid fraction. Fatty acid⁎

RCL

BFT

CHIC

SEM

P level†

14:0 14:1 15:0 16:0 16:1 17:0 18:0 18:1 trans-6,8 18:1 trans-9 18:1 trans-10 18:1 trans-11 18:1 trans-12 18:1 cis-9 18:1 cis-11 18:2 18:3 20:3 n−6 20:4 20:5 22:0 22:1 24:0 24:1 22:5 22:6

1.39 0.26 3.42 18.12 1.72 2.64 15.37 0.17 0.36 0.32b 1.07 0.19 36.17 1.28b 5.05a 1.30b 0.35 5.28 0.52 1.67 0.33 1.13 0.19 1.63 0.88

1.32 0.23 3.36 18.55 1.75 2.66 15.76 0.22 0.44 0.47a 0.93 0.20 34.78 1.44a 4.59b 1.40b 0.19 5.04 0.65 2.04 0.26 1.26 0.23 2.23 0.82

1.28 0.31 3.40 18.54 1.72 2.70 15.60 0.21 0.40 0.39a,b 0.92 0.17 33.19 1.37a,b 6.24a 1.80a 0.33 5.55 0.76 1.43 0.33 1.08 0.18 2.54 0.74

0.10 0.03 0.39 0.57 0.13 0.21 0.54 0.03 0.03 0.06 0.06 0.01 1.68 0.05 0.31 0.07 0.12 0.54 0.11 0.50 0.18 0.18 0.05 0.21 0.10

NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS b0.10 NS NS NS b0.10 b0.05 b0.05 NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS

Summary SFAs MUFAs PUFAs Omega-6 Omega-3 DFAs

43.75 41.51 14.20b 10.68a,b 3.52b 71.08

44.98 40.17 13.80b 9.81b 3.99a,b 69.75

44.03 38.40 16.69a 12.12a 4.57a 70.68

1.34 1.81 0.85 0.68 0.27 0.95

NS NS b0.10 b0.10 b0.10 NS

3.08 0.33a,b 3.18

2.78 0.31b 3.24

3.04 0.39a 2.61

0.15 0.02 0.27

NS b0.10 NS

Ratio Omega‐6:Omega‐3 PUFA:SFA MUFA:PUFA a,b

Means within a row with unlike letters differ at P value listed. ⁎ Saturated fatty acids, SFAs; monounsaturated fatty acids, MUFAs; polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFAs; omega-6 fatty acids, omega-6; omega-3 fatty acids, omega-3; desirable fatty acids, DFAs. † Not significant, NS, P N 0.10.

K.E. Turner et al. / Meat Science 105 (2015) 68–74

4. Discussion 4.1. Ending live BW and carcass weights Heavier final BW when goat kids were finished on red clover pastures compared with grasses and other legumes agrees with previous research at this facility (Turner et al., 2013), and for lambs (Moorby, Fraser, Theobald, Wood, & Haresign, 2004) and farmed deer (Semiadi, Barry, Wilson, Hodgson, & Purchas, 1993). Lamb growth (BW change) was faster on chicory compared to red clover (Barry, 1998). In our study, weight gain by meat-goat kids was slower when grazing chicory compared to grazing red clover or birdsfoot trefoil (Table 1). Overall, final live BW and weigh gain in a pasture finishing environment are influenced by complex and interacting factors that include: plant selectivity by the animal, forage digestibility, and intake, which in turn are influenced by changes in forage mass, nutritive value, and plant secondary metabolite concentrations (Villalba & Provenza, 2009) over the grazing season. Forage mass for chicory and red clover was lower in 2009 compared to BFT-grass (Turner, Cassida, & Zajac, 2010). In 2010, forage mass in BFT pastures tended to be less than in RCL pastures with forage mass in CHIC pastures being more variable over the grazing season (Cassida and Turner, unpublished data). In addition and not specifically evaluated in this study, differences in performance by goats could be partially attributed to the secondary metabolites in the forages. Red clover can improve weight gains via phytoestrogens (Moorby et al., 2004) and a polyphenol oxidase-mediated increase in rumen escape protein (Jones et al., 1995). Birdsfoot trefoil typically contains condensed tannins which improved protein-use efficiency via increased rumen escape protein for improved performance of sheep (Douglas et al., 1995). Chicory can improve performance because of improved seasonal distribution of forage with high nutritive value during the summer (Hall & Jung, 2008). Chicory also contains sesquiterpene lactones which may improve the performance of livestock by reducing GIN parasitism (Foster, Cassida, & Turner, 2011). All-forage diets tend to be energy limiting for finishing livestock on pasture (Ulyatt, 1969). Generally, increasing live weight typically is dependent on digestible energy in relation to crude protein in most temperate environments. In the present study, Boer crossbred goats grazed pastures without any supplemental energy or protein. In both years, RCL and BFT herbages were similar in crude protein and both were higher than CHIC herbage. Also, total digestible nutrients (TDN) of herbage tended to be similar both years, but in vitro true digestibility was higher for CHIC herbage compared to RCL and BFT herbages (Cassida and Turner, unpublished data). Energy supplementation in most pasture finishing systems is typically needed to allow Boer goats to achieve their full potential for growth and carcass yield (Van Niekerk & Casey, 1988; Warmington & Kirton, 1990; Blackburn, 1995). Carcass weights from the three pasture treatment groups ranged from 13.7 to 15.4 kg with carcasses from meat-goat kids finished on RCL being heavier than those finished on CHIC. In contrast, Hopkins, Holst, Hall, and Atkinson (1995) reported no difference in carcass weights when lambs were finished on chicory or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) pastures. Research relating meat-goat carcass information to grazed forages of chicory and birdsfoot trefoil is missing from the literature. Turner, Cassida, and Zerby (2014) reported heavier carcass weights when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover compared to orchardgrass pastures. Carcass weights were greater for weaned, farmed deer grazing sulla (Hedysarum coronarium; contains condensed tannin) compared to chicory (Hoskin, Barry, Wilson, Charleston, & Kemp, 1999). Forage systems can be designed to produce meat goats that target a specific live weight and carcass weight for niche markets (Turner, Belesky, Cassida, & Zerby, 2014). Meat goats finished only on forage in the three pasture treatments in the present study produced acceptable live weights and carcasses for most ethnic markets in the USA (SinghKnights & Knights, 2005). Finishing systems using red clover or birdsfoot

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trefoil probably can be used to produce heavier meat goats and carcasses than forage systems using chicory, but increasing live slaughter weight generally increased carcass weight, dress out percentage, and carcass fatness (Dhanda, Taylor, & Murray, 2003). The result may be ‘fat’ meat goats that may not fit into many ethnic markets in the USA, but may be suited to a specific, local, ethnic market that prefers fat goats. It is important for producers to initially identify and understand specifications of type of animal, animal live weights, and carcass weights desired by each local, ethnic market, thereby allowing for refinement of design and management in pasture-based finishing systems to produce meat goats that better satisfy clients and consumers. 4.2. Dress out percentage, ribeye area, REA:carcass weight ratio, and body wall thickness Dress out percentages for this study ranged from 50.9 to 52.6% which was in the range reported for goats finished on high forage diets (Johnson, Doyle, & Long, 2010) and for pasture-finished meat goats processed using the Halal methods (Turner, Belesky, Cassida, & Zerby, 2014; Turner, Cassida, & Zerby, 2014). Dress out percentage for BFT in our study was intermediate, with RCL being higher than CHIC. In contrast, Wang et al. (1996) reported that lambs grazing BFT had greater dress out percentage than lambs grazing alfalfa (contains no condensed tannin). In our study, dress out percentage when meat-goat kids were finished on BFT pastures may relate to more prairie bromegrass in BFT pastures compared to RCL and CHIC pastures (Turner et al., 2010), thus overall forage digestibility would tend to be lower on the BFT treatment. Feeding grass reduced dress out percentage of lambs compared to the more digestible chicory and clover forages (Litherland, Dynes, & Moss, 2010), and grazing orchardgrass pasture reduced dress out percentage of meat-goat kids compared to grazing legumes (Turner, Cassida, & Zerby, 2014). The REA and REA:CCW ratio typically can be used to estimate muscling (meatiness) of a carcass. In addition, Tschirhart, Rakowitz, McKenna, Griffin, and Savell (2002) reported that carcass body wall thickness is often used as a predictor of percent lean yield in lambs. In the present study, the range in REA (8.7 to 9.8 sq. cm) and BWALL thickness (0.93 to 1.10 cm) when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover was larger than the ranges (6.2 to 7.9 sq. cm and 0.83 to 1.01 cm, respectively) reported by Turner, Cassida, and Zerby (2014) when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover-grass pastures. The REA:CCW ratio (mean 0.65) was similar to that reported by Turner, Cassida, and Zerby (2014) when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover-grass pasture (range 0.44 to 0.66), and Turner, Belesky, Cassida, and Zerby (2014) when meat-goat kids were finished on pastures of a mixed sward of orchardgrass-red clover-white clover without supplementation (mean 0.63). Differences and trends found among the three forage treatments in the present study suggest that BWALL thickness has potential to serve the same purpose as REA in predicting overall meatiness of goat‐kid carcasses. 4.3. Backfat thickness and IP fat In general, meat goats have lighter weight carcasses with less subcutaneous fat cover and more kidney (internal) fat compared to traditional sheep breeds of the same age (Warmington & Kirton, 1990). The present study confirmed minimal backfat thickness that ranged from 0.7 to 1.1 mm in meat-goat kids, while internal fat scores that ranged from 2.1 to 2.6. Hopkins et al. (1995) reported no difference in backfat thickness when adjusted to a common carcass weight of lambs finished on chicory or lucerne pastures, similar to the present study. In contrast, lambs grazing birdsfoot trefoil had greater backfat thickness compared to lambs grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture (RamírezRestrepo et al., 2005). Likewise, lambs grazing birdsfoot trefoil had heavier carcasses, but were not different in fatness when compared to carcasses from lambs grazing alfalfa (Douglas et al., 1995). Solaiman

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et al. (2010) reported that condensed tannin reduced fatness in carcasses from young crossbred male Kiko goat kids offered increasing levels of sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don]. Type of subunit and proportion of subunits of condensed tannins in forages (Min & Hart, 2003) may account for different impacts on backfat thickness. In addition, Min, Barry, Attwood, and McNabb (2003) reported that condensed tannin concentrations of 22–38 g per kg of DM in birdsfoot trefoil benefited sheep performance, but 17 weeks of grazing birdsfoot trefoil were needed to impact wool growth (Min, Barry, McNabb, & Kemp, 1998). In the current study, animals grazed up to 16 weeks each year, but condensed tannin intake likely varied over this period because of changes over time in proportion of birdsfoot trefoil versus grass, concentration of condensed tannin in trefoil, and diet selection by the animals. Sites of fat deposition within the carcass and fat composition are related to species and breed of animal (Wood et al., 2008). Genetic differences can influence rate of fat deposition, especially in goats of mixed breeding (Oman, Waldron, Griffin, & Savell, 2000). Goats in our study were predominately of Boer breeding, but had influences of Spanish types and the Kiko breed. Oman et al. (2000) reported that Boer crossbred goats and Spanish-type goats had leaner carcasses with less fat than Angora goats when finished on an 80% concentrate diet. Similar research related to breed differences in carcass traits in meat goats finished on non-traditional forages is missing from the literature. 4.4. Leg, lean quality, and conformation scores A low leg conformation score has been associated with meat that was less tender compared to scores that were medium or high (Phelps et al., 1999). In our study, leg scores (range 10.1 to 10.6; carcass weight adjusted range 10.2 to 10.5) when meat-goat kids were finished on pasture without supplementation were similar to the medium to high leg scores reported by Cameron et al. (2001) when Boer crossbred goats were finished on high concentrate diets. Lean quality and conformation scores were not different among treatments and were similar to scores reported by Cameron et al. (2001). 4.5. Proximate analyses Chemical composition (ash 1.7%, CP 23.4%, and IMF 5%) of chevon longissimus muscle have been reported by Lee, Kannan, Eega, Kouakou, and Getz (2008) when Boer × Spanish-type male goats were finished on a ryegrass and white clover pasture plus an alfalfa-corn supplement. Our results were greater in ash, similar in CP, and lower in fat compared to Lee et al. (2008) and differed on three counts: greater percentage Boer breeding, different forage species, and no supplemental feed. Schmidt, Miller, Andrae, Ellis, and Duckett (2013) reported that total ash, protein, and lipid concentration did not differ in longissimus muscle when beef steers were finished on monocultures of alfalfa (M. sativa L.), bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], chicory, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), or pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] pastures. 4.6. Fatty acid profiles Longissimus lumborum meat samples in the present study: FA 16:0 was not influenced by pasture grazed; FA 18:3 was higher for CHIC compared to RCL and BFT; and FA 18:2 was higher for CHIC and RCL compared to BFT. Meat‐goat kids finished on chicory had higher PUFAs in meat samples than those finished on BFT or RCL. Fatty acid profiles of chevon longissimus muscle were highest in FA 18:1n − 9, 16:0, 18:0, 16:1n−7, and 18:2n−6 when Boer × Spanish male goats were finished on a ryegrass and white clover pasture plus an alfalfa-corn supplement (Lee et al., 2008). Researchers have reported that overall differences in FA profiles in meat reflect FA profiles in fresh forages consumed (Lourenço et al.,

2008) whereas Dierking, Kallenbach, and Grün (2010) reported that pasture herbage FA composition did not influence longissimus FA composition in pasture-finished beef steers grazing red clover. Van Ranst, Fievez, Vandewalle, De Riek, and Van Bockstaele (2009), using a limited number of red clover cultivars, reported that concentrations of FA 18:3 tended to differ among cultivars. Fatty acid 18:2 concentrations were different among four cultivars of red clover (Boufaïed et al., 2003). Predominate FAs in birdsfoot trefoil herbage have been reported to be 18:3, 18:2, and 16:0 (MacAdam, Ward, Griggs, Min, & Aiken, 2011). Blood MUFA concentrations were higher when beef calves grazed birdsfoot trefoil compared to those grazing tannin-free cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) while PUFA concentrations were lower for calves grazing milkvetch compared to those on birdsfoot trefoil (MacAdam et al., 2011). Fatty acid 18:2 concentrations were different between two cultivars of birdsfoot trefoil (Boufaïed et al., 2003). Condensed tannins in forages modify FA profiles first by inhibiting specific ruminal bacterial species responsible for biohydrogenation of FAs, resulting in an increase in trans-vaccenic acid (C18:1 trans-11 TVA) (Vasta, Makkar, Mele, & Priolo, 2009) and conjugated linoleic acid (C18:2 cis-9,trans-11 CLA) in the rumen and ultimately in fatty acids in muscle tissue with increased 18:0 (SFA). Differences in FA 18:0 in longissimus samples were not evident when meat-goat kids were finished on red clover, birdsfoot trefoil, or chicory pastures in our study. The dominate SFA in chicory herbage was 16:0 while dominant unsaturated FAs were 18:3 and 18:2; these individual FAs and total FA concentrations declined with age of plant in greenhouse (Clapham, Foster, Neel, & Fedders, 2005) and field (Warner, Jensen, Cone, & Elgersma, 2010) trials. Three chicory cultivars grown in West Virginia, USA differed in total sesquiterpene concentrations and proportions of lactucin and deoxylactucin, and impacted forage bitterness during the growing season (Foster, Cassida, & Sanderson, 2011). Intake by goats is less affected by secondary plant compounds (such as sesquiterpene lactones) as compared to sheep and cattle (Foley, Iason, & McArthur, 1999). Cassida, Foster, and Turner (2010) reported that goats preferred Puna chicory (with less sesquiterpene lactones), but consumed all cultivars of chicory even when bitter (high sesquiterpene lactones). Elgersma, Søegaard, and Jensen (2013) reported that birdsfoot trefoil had a higher proportion of n −3 FAs than chicory. Thus, plant species and cultivar grazed by goats probably impacts FA profiles in chevon. Oasis chicory used in our study is an improved cultivar of Grasslands Puna chicory. Schmidt et al. (2013) reported that beef steers finished on chicory herbage with high FA 18:3 concentrations produced longissimus muscle with greater FA 18:3 concentrations compared to other legumes and warm-season grasses. We observed greater FA 18:3 concentrations in longissimus muscle when meat goats were finished on chicory compared to red clover or birdsfoot trefoil which probably was a result of greater FA 18:3 concentrations in chicory herbage, although not a factor determined in our study. Increasing the number of days (0–158) grazing grass pastures linearly lowered the n − 6:n − 3 ratio via higher n − 3 concentration in lipids of muscle tissue (Noci, Monahan, French, & Molony, 2005). The three major omega‐3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; C18:3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20:5), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6). A low n −6:n−3 ratio is desirable in human diets in order to reduce health risks. In our study the omega‐6 to omega‐3 ratio ranged from 2.78 to 3.08. With increased number of day grazing, animals typically increase live body weight. Banskalieva, Sahlu, and Goetsch (2000) reported that with increasing BW of weaned goat kids, FA 18:0 increased and MUFA decreased in fat depots. Different forms of energy and energy levels in diets influenced growth and subsequent carcass composition and meat properties in food animals (McMillin & Brock, 2005). All-forage diets are relatively low in digestible energy compared to concentrate feed, but forages species differ in energy concentrations which are dependent on stage of plant of maturity. In our study, pastures were managed to maintain

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plants close to vegetative stage in order supply herbage with high nutritive value (high CP and TDN) for grazing (Cassida and Turner, unpublished data). 5. Conclusions Goat kids finished on red clover pastures had heavier final body and carcass weights compared to goats finished on chicory pastures with goats finished on birdsfoot trefoil being intermediate. Goat kids finished on chicory pasture had a higher dress out percentage compared to goat kids finished on birdsfoot trefoil pastures. Carcass parameters (ribeye area, backfat thickness, bodywall thickness, intraperitoneal fat score, and leg score) when expressed on a carcass weight basis were not different among meat-goat kids finished on the three pasture treatments. Meat‐goat kids finished on chicory compared to red clover had higher crude protein concentration in longissimus lumborum muscle. Although concentrations of FAs 18:1, 18:2, 18:3, omega-6, omega-3, and polyunsaturated FAs in meat samples differed among the three pasture treatments, there were no differences in omega-6:omega-3 ratio or in desirable FA concentrations in chevon among the three pasture treatments. Finishing goats on chicory, red clover, or birdsfoot trefoil resulted in acceptable carcass traits and meat chemical composition. Future research should address consumer acceptability of pasture-finished chevon. Acknowledgment The authors thank Jeffrey B. Ellison, Sean Greene, Kenneth N. Harless, Edward C. Lester, Carol S. McClung, R. Brodie Meadows, J. Mark Peele, and John P. Snuffer for their invaluable animal and pasture management, and laboratory support and efforts. Many thanks to Amy E. Radunz and Jill Gavin for their invaluable assistance in the collection of carcass data and meat samples, and to The Ohio State University Meats Laboratory for meat chemistry analyses. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. There is no conflict of interest. References Banskalieva, V., Sahlu, T., & Goetsch, A. L. (2000). Fatty acid composition of goat muscles and fat depots: A review. Small Ruminant Research, 37, 255–268. Barry, T. N. (1998). The feeding value of chicory (Cichorium intybus) for ruminant livestock. Journal of Agricultural Science (Cambridge), 131, 251–257. Beuselinck, P. R., & Grant, W. F. (1995). Birdsfoot trefoil. In R. F Barnes, D. A. Miller, & C. J. Nelson (Eds.), Forages (5th ed.). An introduction to grassland agriculture, Vol. 1. (pp. 237–2248). Ames, IA, USA: Iowa State University Press. Blackburn, H. D. (1995). Comparison of performance of Boer and Spanish goats in two U.S. locations. Journal of Animal Science, 73, 302–309. Bonanno, A., Di Miceli, G., Di Grigoli, A., Frenda, A. S., Tornambè, G., Giambalvo, D., & Amato, G. (2011). Effects of feeding green forage of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) on lamb growth and carcass and meat quality. Animal, 5, 148–154. Boufaïed, H., Chouinard, P. Y., Tremblay, G. F., Petit, H. V., Michaud, R., & Bélanger, G. (2003). Fatty acids in forages. I. Factors affecting concentrations. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 83, 501–511. Cameron, M. R., Luo, J., Sahlu, T., Hart, S. P., Coleman, S. W., & Goetsch, A. L. (2001). Growth and slaughter traits of Boer × Spanish, Boer × Angora, and Spanish goats consuming a concentrate-based diet. Journal of Animal Science, 79, 1423–1430. Cassida, K. A., Foster, J. G., & Turner, K. E. (2010). Forage characteristics affecting meat goat preferences for forage chicory cultivars. Agronomy Journal, 102, 1109–1117. Clapham, W. M., Foster, J. G., Neel, J. P. S., & Fedders, J. M. (2005). Fatty acid composition of traditional and novel forages. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53, 10068–10073. Dhanda, J. S., Taylor, D. G., & Murray, P. J. (2003). Part 1. Growth, carcass and meat quality parameters of male goats: Effects of genotype and liveweight at slaughter. Small Ruminant Research, 50, 57–66. Dierking, R. M., Kallenbach, R. L., & Grün, I. U. (2010). Effect of forage species on fatty acid content and performance of pasture-finished steers. Meat Science, 85, 597–605. Douglas, G. B., Wang, Y., Wanghorn, G. C., Barry, T. N., Purchas, R. W., Foote, A. G., & Wilson, G. F. (1995). Liveweight gain and wool production of sheep grazing

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