Growth and carcass traits of Creole kids experimentally infected by Haemonchus contortus: effects of sex, housing conditions and slaughter weights

W Ceï, J C Bambou, F Silou¹, F Mounoussamy² and G Alexandre

INRA UR 143 Unité de Recherches Zootechniques, Centre INRA-Antilles-Guyane, Domaine Duclos, 97170 Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe.
gisele.alexandre@antilles.inra.fr
¹INRA UE 503 Unité Expérimentale en Production et Santé Animale, Centre INRA-Antilles-Guyane, Domaine Duclos, 97170 Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe.
²INRA UE 467 Domaine Expérimental de Gardel, Centre INRA-Antilles-Guyane, 97160 Le Moule, Guadeloupe.

Abstract

Two trials were designed to run concurrently using 20 Creole male and 12 female kids experimentally infested with Haemonchus contortus. In trial 1, kids were reared indoors in collective (C) pens and females (F) were compared to males (M). The trial 2 was conducted only with males to compare another housing mode: individual pens (IM) vs. collective pen (CM). The kids received a basal diet composed of hay of tropical pasture (75 days) and 100 g/day pelleted concentrate. Two slaughter weights (SW) were compared: at 16 and 24 kg SW for the M kids and 13 and 18 kg SW for F respectively. Many of the body and carcass performances were under the effects of sex and/or SW.

The results obtained in IM were improved comparatively to the CM ones and could be due to better feeding conditions. On the other hand, data on growth and carcass traits obtained in this present study fell within the lower range of values observed in previous researches and could be explained by the exposure to  gastrointestinal nematode infections that are discussed relative to carcass yield, fat tissues and color parameters of muscle. For further research on meat goat attributes, needing controlled conditions of parasitism, it is recommended to use males instead of females, collective pens (because of the costs of individual crates) and high SW. Otherwise the grazing system will have to be tested per se.

Keywords: Creole goat, gastro intestinal nematodes, meat color, shoulder tissues

Introduction

In the French West Indies, small ruminant (SR) production is based on indigenous genotypes which are mainly raised in suckling system for meat production (Mahieu et al 2008). Fattening and carcass performances vary widely with genotype, sex, feeding level, weight or age at slaughter (Casey and Webb 2010; Goetsch et al 2011). Studies have begun with Creole male kids, in the field of carcass characteristics and meat quality in relation to feeding levels and slaughter conditions (Liméa et al 2009a,b).

Under the Caribbean conditions, the SR are mainly reared at pasture (Mahieu et al 2008; Alexandre et al 2009) and are subjected to gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections. In such context, Haemonchus contortus is the most prevalent GIN parasite that causes major losses in sheep and goat production as elsewhere (Seng Sokerya and Preston 2003; Torres-Acosta and Hoste 2008; Kanyari et al 2009). Different studies are undergone with Creole kids in the fields of genetic variability, immunology or feeding (Mandonnet et al 2001, 2003; Bambou et al 2011, 2013). However, studies on meat productive abilities of infested Creole goat are scarce. In the international literature very little is known about GIN effects upon carcass attributes and meat quality other than in Mediterranean studies (Goliomytis et al 2006; Arsenos et al 2009).

Considering with Casey and Webb (2010) that systems of management, including health status and husbandry conditions, influence fattening performances, it appeared necessary to take them under consideration. In addition, it is reported that SR males are more susceptible to GIN than females (Mandonnet et al 2003; Haile et al 2010). Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of these aforementioned factors upon growth and carcass traits in the Creole goat. The present study examined the effects of sex, housing and slaughter conditions on carcass traits and qualities in infested kids.

Materials and methods

The experiment was conducted at Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Animal Research Unit, Guadeloupe (French West Indies) (16◦20 latitude North, 61◦30 longitude West). All animal care, handling techniques and slaughter procedures as well as license for experimental infection were approved by INRA, according to the certificate number A-971-18-01 of authorization to experiment on living animals issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture, before the initiation of the research.

Animals and experimental design

The study was carried out with a total of 20 and 12 growing male and female Creole kids weighing 18.4 ± 3.76 kg and 15.9 ± 2.51 kg, respectively. Each animal was genetically indexed for ecal egg counts (FEC) at 11 months of age. The estimation of the breeding value for FEC allowed the discrimination of resistant or susceptible kids. Kids were blocked by pre-weaning ADG, body weight and genetic status.

The animals were infected over 2 periods (challenge 1 and challenge 2) of 6 weeks each. There was a lapse of 4 weeks between finishing challenge 1 and starting challenge 2. The animals were individually challenged with 10,000 L3 of H. contortus according to standard procedure developed by Bambou et al (2011, 2013).

During the whole experiment, animals received a diet composed of ad libitum access (15% refusals) to 75-days old Dichantium spp. hay and 100 g/d of concentrate (Table 1). The experiment lasted for 4 months; the animals were weighed every 14 days.

In trial 1, two groups of Creole kids either males (M, n= 10) or females (F, n = 12) were reared in collective pens (C) on a slatted floor. The trial 2 was implemented only with males, the CM were compared to their contemporary reared in individual pens(IM, n= 10).

The inherent variability of BW in such a hardy population and the different physiological responses of animals to infestation resulted in contrasted weights at slaughter. Thus two classes of slaughter weight (SW) were discriminated for males (M) or females (F). Light and heavy animals were defined as 16 and 24 kg SW for the M kids and 13 and 18 kg SW for F kids, respectively.

Slaughtering procedure

Most of the methods of measurements used in this study are fully described in previous researches on Creole goat carcass studies (Limea et al 2009a).

Animals were weighed the day before slaughter, and the next day when fasting just before slaughter. After bleeding, the full digestive tract was removed, weighed full and then separated by compartment, emptied and weighed. The peritoneal and mesenteric fats were removed and weighed. Weights of head, feet, skin, liver, heart/trachea/lungs and rest were recorded.

Dressed carcasses were weighed within 1 h (hot carcass weight), and then chilled for 24 hours at 4°C, and then weighed again (cold carcass weight). Each cold carcass was rated (from 1 to 5) according to conformation, internal and external fat based on an adapted grid. The perirenal fat was removed and weighed. The carcass was then cut in half lengthwise and the left side was cut into five joints (shoulder, neck, ribs, flank, long leg). Every joint was weighed and shoulder was dissected in fat (intermuscular deposits), muscles and bones.

Data calculations and statistical analyses

Empty body weight (EBW) was calculated by subtracting values of gut content from fasted slaughter weight. The carcass yield was calculated as cold carcass weight related to EBW. The muscle to bone ratio was calculated on a weight basis.

Two analyses of variance with the Minitab linear model (Minitab V14,2 software) were carried out to determine either the effect of sex, or that of housing in trials 1 and 2, respectively. Finally, data were analysed by fitting models that included also the factor slaughter weight class (SW). In a first step the effects of genetic status of the kids were included in the models but it revealed no significant effect and was thus removed. Initial liveweight was used as a covariate on fattening ADG. For carcass data, slaughter or carcass weight (kg) were added as covariates and were kept in the model if they reached significance.

Results

The effects of sex

The kid sex had a significant effect on almost all the body and carcass traits studied, except for carcass yield and conformation (Table 2) or red and white viscera (Table 3). The ADG and carcass weights increased by 24% while the cold carcass varied only by 5% in M comparatively to F kids. Fat tissues in the abdominal cavity (Table 3) or in the shoulder (not tabulated) were heavier in female carcasses than in M ones. Same trends were observed for the fat scores (Table 2). Among the physical parameters (Table 5) only the L* and b* values varied significantly in favour of the M vs. F (approximately by 7-9%).

Housing conditions

The male kids reared individually (IM) performed better than the CM for most of the studied traits except for fat scores (Table 2), fat tissue weights (Table 3), or shoulder and leg proportions (Table 4). The IM grew faster than the CM (10% more). In IM comparatively to CM, the carcass yield and conformation increased up to 55% and 3.2/5 while the fat scores remained similar (p =0.072) and stayed at a very low level. The distribution of primal cuts was similar (approximately 60% of the carcass weight), irrespective of the housing conditions. The quality attributes of the carcass, assessed upon Longissimus dorsi muscle (Table 5) varied except for the a* parameter of color.

Slaughter weight classes (SW)

For each sex group, there were significant differences among SW classes for many body and carcass traits except for the qualitative fat scores in males (Table 2), the shoulder and leg proportions and the repartition of tissues in the shoulder (Table 4). In male kids the 50 % differences among the two classes of SW were related to differences for fattening ADG but resulted in 50% increase of carcass weight (Table 2). Also, the cold carcass yield improved but at a lesser extent of 4%. Undoubtedly this SW factor directly induced a gradual increase for the body components (Tables 2 and 4).and carcass parts (not tabulated). For these reasons, the proportions of cuts or tissues related to carcass or shoulder weight have been reported (Table 4). It appears that only the neck and muscle proportions significantly increased with SW. The conformation score (Table 2) was improved with the SW class. This latter reached a middle score of 3 upon 5. The fat cover scores varied significantly from the lighter to the heavier carcasses (Table 2) but very slightly by only 0.5 points.

In female kids, the differences between the two SW groups followed about the same trends as in males for carcass and body component weights. The neck proportions in the carcass or muscle repartition in the shoulder did not vary. The most noticeable changes which were observed in relation with SW were in abdominal fat tissues. Their weights (Table 3), scores (Table 2) or proportions (Table 4) increased with SW. There was a general decrease in L* and b* values with increased SW classes (Table 5).

Discussion

Carcass traits and tissues according to animal factors of variation

Data on growth and carcass traits obtained in this present study fall within the lower range of values observed in previous researches (Limea et al 2009b). In male kids, the lower ADG, carcass conformation and physical attributes could be explained by the exposure to GIN infection. Phengvichith and Ledin (2007) have reported negative effects of GIN on goat carcass traits in Laos. Alexandre et al (2009) indicated lower carcass performances in Creole goats reared at pasture compared to their counterparts reared indoors and fed the same forage, probably due to the parasitism impact undergone by the grazing kids. Arsenos et al (2009) pointed out the negative impacts of nematode burdens upon carcass performances in Greek goats unless they were adequately supplemented with dietary protein. This latter condition was not tested in this present study. The growth performances of infested female kids in our study were within the range of variations obtained by Bambou et al (2011) for similar infested animals and feeding conditions (15 to 35g/d).

On the other hand, infested male kids had higher ADG or carcass attributes than infested females. There are non-mutually controversial hypotheses. As expected body components are heavier in males than in females because of the sexual dimorphism. The weights derived from the higher growth rate observed in males than in females reached a difference of 25%. This ratio is in agreement with the statement of Hammond (1962) that BW of males is 1.3 times that of females. On the other hand, some studies have confirmed better resistance to gastrointestinal parasites in females than in males that could have induced different performances (Mandonnet et al 2003).

Sex influenced muscle and bone distribution in goat carcasses was described by Maghoub et al (2004). In our study, the neck or head weights or proportions were significantly higher in males than in females. According to Maghoub et al (2004), males had higher proportion of musculature in the forequarter. These muscles were reported to be affected by male sex hormones which may explain their better development at high than at low SW, which is linked to sexual maturity in male kids. For example, Abdullah and Musallam, (2007) have observed a higher muscularity in intact than in castrated goat males. Observations upon muscle and bone distribution or absolute weight values were the reverse in the hind limb region. The females presented higher leg proportion than the males probably because of heavier weigh of femur and tibia reported also by Maghoub et al (2004). Carcass and non-carcass fat was deposited with a faster rate in she-kids than he-kids with increasing BW. This is in line with findings in different goat genotypes (Mahgoub et al 2004; Peña et al 2007).

No significant difference was observed between males and females for the dissection of shoulder. This could be linked to differences in anatomical development existing between the two sexes reported either in goat (Mahgoub et al 2004) or in sheep (Goliomytis et al 2006).

In close agreement with absolute values obtained in the present study, Maghoub et al (2004) in goat, and Goliomytis et al (2006) in sheep reported that the proportions of bone decrease with increasing carcass weight while proportion of muscles increase. The sequence in achievement of maximal growth rate for carcass constituents is known as the curves of Hammond (1962) who reported that maximal growth rate is attained firstly by bone, secondly by muscle and lastly by fatty tissue. The fat cover scores or fat deposits varied significantly from the lighter to the heavier carcasses but very slightly and did not undergrade the carcass that remained a very lean carcass. In fact, the weight of the abdominal fat tissues represented only 3.0 to 5% of the EBW which characterises hardy tropical genotypes (Mahgoub et al 2004; Liméa et al 2009b).

Effect of the housing conditions

The housing modes tested in our study aimed to indicate the adequate experimental conditions for further studies such as for controlled feeding conditions and better animal monitoring. Generally, individual crates are used for feeding studies but this can be very expensive and will not allow the use of numerous animals in the trials. Grouping animals provides opportunity for socialization, and results in higher levels of activity. However, a group pen housing system may cause some problems: spreading contagious diseases, causing stresses and feed waste. The growth performances increased for the IM groups compared to the CM. This is probably linked to better feeding conditions allowing higher intake rate as measured for Creole kids by Bambou et al (2009). In contrast,  Kor et al (2011) studying White goats of Turkey indicated better fattening performances for group pen kids comparatively to individually reared ones. In our study, the Creole goat displayed lighter BW than the Turkish one but better carcass yield. Rearing goats in an indoor system could avoid parasitic infestation that is encompassed at pasture in grazing systems as demonstrated in previous researches (Alexandre et al 2009). In hot climates, the livestock may suffer from heat stress and then housing could be a good alternative. Darcan and Çankaya (2008) studied the effects of ventilation and showering that provided better fattening and meat quality for crossbred kids. In our study, the Creole kids are known to be very well adapted to the prevailing climatic conditions and probably the positive effect in our study came from better feed availability at the trough.

Muscle physical parameters

There were no differences in meat pH or in the a* color parameter within the different groups. The ultimate pH seemed to be higher than in previous studies dealing with non infested Creole kids (Limea et al 2009a). In sheep, the ultimate pH in grazing lambs tends to be higher than in stall-fed lambs and according to Priolo et al (2002) this could be due to glycogen-depleting stressors exerting in the former animals comparated to the latter. Toplu et al (2013) studying goats reared under extensive conditions reported similar values of pH and no sex effect upon this trait.

The cooking loss varied within the different housing treatments and SW. One of the reasons could be probably linked to the feeding efficiency (Goetsch et al 2011) achieved by the kids revealed by their different ADG (individually vs. collectively fed, or heavy vs. light kids, respectively). Similar results have been observed in previous studies on Creole kids although they were not infested with GIN (Limea 2009a). This is contrary to conclusions of Lee et al (2008). However, these authors used different genotypes and provided high nutritional diets in their experiments.

The color parameters recorded in the present study fell between the lower range of values obtained elsewhere in the same (Limea et al 2009a) or other genotypes (Abdullah and Musallam 2007; Lee et al 2008) for non infested and well-fed kids. Meat was lighter (L* parameter) for the low vs. high SW kids whatever their gender. These conclusions are in line with those of Toplu et al (2013). It is generally reported that a red meat (a* parameter) characterizes mature animals (Casey and Webb 2010; Toplu et al 2013). However the kids in our study were older than in previous studies while their L* and a* values were lower and this could be explained by their infestation status. Goliomytis et al (2007) assessing lamb meat quality have reported a deleterious effect of parasitism upon the meat color. In fact, H. contortus is hematophagous, so infected animals under such impact would most likely experience anaemia as described for male or female kids (Bambou et al 2011; 2013a).

The differences obtained in the b* values could be discussed relatively to carotenoids content although the latte was not assessed in our experiment. This is based upon generally accepted observations that grass, rich in carotenoids, increases the b* values in ruminant meat (Priolo et al 2002). By design, feeds distributed to the animals were similar. In fact, carotenoid concentration is related to two of the three components of coloration analysed (L*and b*). Another hypothesis supports that carotenoid-derived colors are affected by parasite levels. And this is more marked for males but not for females as in our study case. In sheep (Colditz 2003), helminth infection and other stressors induce catabolism of proteins in muscle and synthesis of acute-phase proteins in liver, and other metabolic changes that can increase the demand for carotenoids in the liver. However, more accurate analyses of carotenoids are required to be more consistent in our conclusion.

Conclusions

This initial study focuses upon different experimental conditions that could be used for studying the impacts of GIN upon growth and meat performances of small ruminants. It seems possible to implement trials with animals reared indoors submitted to experimental infection procedures that have been standardized. Few studies reported data upon carcass of does because of their roles in reproductive cycle. Then it is highly recommended to use males instead of females. Housing systems, weight at slaughter are very relevant factors of variation of meat abilities of the Creole kids, as expected. The former appeared to be linked to feeding conditions that must be taken into account as such. The latter seemed to be linked also to the genetic variability of this hardy tropical breed not yet selected. In order to build a breeding program, further researches on the assessment of production potential of this breed will require a larger data base on individual performances under controlled management. Resistant and susceptible lines would be compared. In addition, it will be important to determine, carcass attributes together with the main sources of variation such as feeding and GIN infection levels. In the future, the grazing system known to be the more prevalent in tropical zones will have to be tested.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank C Barbier, F Labirin and L Philibert for their technical assistance. The authors are grateful to the abattoir team in charge of slaughtering procedures and measurements (B Bocage and A Nepos). W Ceï was supported by a doctoral fellowship from Le Conseil Régional de la Guadeloupe. This study was supported by the “Region Guadeloupe” and the “European Community” (FEOGA).

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Received 12 February 2014; Accepted 17 October 2014; Published 3 November 2014

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