Abstract :
Crossbred Criollo Neuquino castrated male kids, 6 months of age and 24 kg of live
weight, were used to investigate the effects of pre-slaughter stressors on physiological
characteristics and meat quality attributes. On four separate days, 16 kids were randomly
assigned to one of the four pre-slaughter stressor treatments (4 kids per treatment per day):
(A) no stress (control); (B) 24 h of food deprivation (fasting); (C) physical stress of forced
exercise by an animal handler for 30 min at approximately 3 km/h (exercise); or (D) psychological
stress by placing kids in a pen with barking dogs for 5 min (fear). Fasted goats had
greater (P < 0.05) hematocrit, urea and total protein concentrations than controls. Exercised
kids had greater (P < 0.05) cortisol concentration than controls and goats exposed to barking
dogs had greater (P < 0.05) hematocrit and cortisol concentration compared with controls.
Even though the stressors imposed on the kids induced changes in blood constituents typically
associated with the stress response, the intensity and/or duration of these stressors
had little or no effect on meat quality.
