Crossbreeding and Influence of Some environmental Factors in Manipulation of Carcass and Meat Quality Properties in Goats: a Review

Crossbreeding has played a major role in improving important carcass and meat quality properties necessary for commercial goat production. In the past decade two way rotational crossing systems have reported potential genetic improvement in carcass and meat quality properties (sensory, chemical, proximate, physical, fatty acids, cholesterol etc). However, very few studies have been reported on the use on three way rotational crossing (triple crossing) in improvement of carcass and meat properties. Feeding systems, slaughter age and rearing systems are some of the environmental factors which have been examined in resultant crossbreds to determine their influence on carcass and meat quality properties. It has been noted that varying the levels of environmental factors had significant differences in the nature of corresponding carcass and meat quality properties. The preceding review gives some insight on crossbreeding and the influence of environmental factors on carcass and meat quality properties.