The effects of ventilation and showering on fattening performances and carcass traits of crossbred kids

Thirty-two crossbred (75% Alpine and 25% Hair Goat) male kids (4 months old) were allocated into four experimental groups including eight kids in each. The effects of ventilation and on fattening performance and carcass quality were tested in a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. The results showed that total feed intake was affected by ventilation and shower and their interaction effects (P < 0.05); daily gain and final weight were affected by ventilation (P < 0.05) and ventilation×shower interaction (P < 0.01), as well. Feed intake increased with shower (58 vs. 63 kg/kid, P < 0.05) and ventilation application (58 vs. 62 kg/kid, P < 0.05), significantly. The kids which experienced cooling had higher dressing percentage, carcass weights (P < 0.01), head, feet, blood, empty gut and kidney weights, muscle growth and fat deposits than the control ones (P < 0.05). Longissimus dorsi muscles of the kids cooled by ventilation were higher than shower treatment kids’ (8.66 vs. 9.34). The muscular protein content of the individuals cooled by ventilation was higher than the other groups. Shear force values were in the range of 4.32–5.54 kg/cm2 in groups which were cooled by shower or ventilation. The taste and the tenderness of boiled and fried meat samples taken from the kids cooled with showering (4.50 vs. 5.00) were better than those of ventilation treatment groups (P < 0.05). The study shows that cooling with a ventilation provides better fattening and meat quality for kids kept under hot and humid climatic conditions and is easy to apply and more profitable. Economic analyses also supported the findings, and it was seen that an individual kept cool with ventilation increased the profit by almost 19 US dollars compared to an individual which was not kept cool. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.