Carcass Characteristics of Goats Fed Ammoniated Neem (Azadirachta indica) Seed Kernel Cake

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to study the affect of feeding urea ammoniated neem kernel meal on carcass characteristics and organoleptic properties of the meat in goats. Eight local weaned kids of 3-4 months age with mean body weight of 7.85�0.42 kg were assigned to two groups of four each in a completely randomised design and were offered diets containing isonitrogenous concentrate mixtures containing either peanut meal or urea ammoniated neem (Azadirachta indica) seed kernel meal (UANSKM) along with ad libitium oat hay or green sorghum as roughage for 13 fortnights. The animals were slaughtered at the end of the experimental period and the carcass characteristics and organoleptic evaluation of the meat was carried out. The carcass characteristics in terms of dressing percentage, meat bone ratio, percent edible and inedible did not differ between the treatments. Similarly the organoleptic characteristics and cooking loss were comparable between the treatments implying that UANSKM can be substituted for peanut meal in goat diets to alleviate the shortage and high cost of peanut meal without affecting meat quality. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 10 : 1451-1454)