Relationship of body measurements with meat and skin yield characteristics in free range reared Bengal goats

Abstract

Three hundred free range reared Bengal goats (122 males and 178 females) were slaughtered after recording age, body weight, ear length, heart girth, shank length, loin spread and after slaughter, skin length, skin breadth, blood loss and dressed carcass yield were recorded to establish relationship among these parameters. The males had greater individual variations in linear body measurements than that in females. Despite older age, heavier slaughter weights and greater skin area, females had lower dressing yield and slightly lighter skin (P>0.05) than in males. The correlations indicated body length, heart girth, ear length, shank length and loin spread as reliable independent predictors of body weight and, therefore, of dressing yield. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.