CARCASS AND ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MEAT FROM RED SOKOTO GOATS FED SOME ROOT AND TUBER CROP PEELS IN CONCENTRATE SUPPLEMENT DIETS WITH GROUNDNUT (Arachis hypogea) HAULM BASAL DIET
This study evaluated root and tuber crop peels as alternative concentrate ingredients for Red Sokoto goats fed a groundnut (Arachis hypogea) haulm basal diet, with emphasis on carcass yield, organ development, wholesale cuts, carcass by-products and meat sensory quality. Twenty Red Sokoto bucks, aged 10–11 months and weighing 8.0–9.0 kg, were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments in a completely randomised design, with four animals per treatment. The concentrate diets contained 20% maize offal (T1), yam peel meal (T2), sweet potato peel meal (T3), Irish potato peel meal (T4) or cassava peel meal (T5), offered at 250 g/goat/day with 500 g/goat/day of groundnut haulm. The trial lasted 100 days after a 14-day adjustment period. Three goats per treatment were slaughtered for carcass evaluation, and meat samples were assessed by a 12-member sensory panel. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, and significant means were separated with the least significant difference test. Live weight, slaughter weight and dressing percentage were not significantly affected by treatment, whereas meat-to-bone ratio differed significantly, increasing from 2.82 in T1 to 3.54 in T5. Liver, kidney and spleen weights were similar across treatments, while heart and lung weights differed significantly. Most wholesale cuts were unaffected, but loin and thigh proportions differed significantly, with T4 recording the highest values of 8.26% and 3.06%, respectively. Among carcass by-products, only horn weight differed significantly. Juiciness, tenderness, palatability and overall meat quality were significantly affected by diet, whereas flavour, aroma and leanness were not. T3 recorded the highest tenderness, palatability and overall meat quality scores. The findings indicate that root and tuber peel meals can replace maize offal at 20% inclusion without compromising major carcass traits and can support acceptable meat quality, offering a means of reducing reliance on conventional feed ingredients and utilising available agro-residues in Red Sokoto goat production.
Keywords: Red Sokoto goats; root and tuber peels; carcass characteristics; agro-by-products; meat quality; concentrate supplementation.
