DOI - Mendel University Press

DOI identifiers

DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-100-6-0359

THE EFFECT OF CASTRATION AND CASTRATION METHODS ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY OF SOUTH AFRICAN BOER GOATS

Phillip E. Strydom1, Joseph M. Boden1, Jeannine Marais2, Louw C. Hoffman1,3, Johan H. G. van Zyl1
1 Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
2 Department of Food Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
3 Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, QAAFI, The University of Queensland, Australia


The effect of immunocastration as an alternative method to physical castration, of South African (SA) Boer goats on growth performance, carcass and meat quality has not received much scientific attention and were investigated in this study. Boer goat males (between 3.5 and 4.5 months of age) were castrated using a Burdizzo emasculator (physical castration), Improvac® vaccine (immunocastration), while an intact group served as a control. The goats were fed a pelleted feedlot diet for 84 days and housed in individual pens. Intact goats gain weight faster and more efficiently and produced heavier carcasses than the two castrated groups. The meat of the two castrated groups had a lighter colour compared to meat intact males. A trained analytical sensory panel scored goat-like flavour of intact goats higher by only 2 units (100 point scale) than meat from castrated groups. No differences were noted between treatments for the meat texture attributes. If intact male and female animals can be separated in production system, intact Boer goats will perform better in feedlots without compromising meat quality.  

Keywords: Boer goat, immune castration, goat-like aroma, meat colour

pages: 359-364, online: 2026



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