2010 carcass evaluation

One of the goals of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test is to evaluate and compare carcass characteristics of meat goats consuming a pasture-only diet.  This year, ten bucks from ten different consignors were selected for harvest and deboning.

The bucks were transported from the test site on October 7 to LambCo LLC, where they were humanely harvested on the same day.  LambCo, LLC is a USDA/custom abattoir in New Windsor, Maryland.

The ten carcasses from this year's evaluation.

Carcass yields were similar to last year (25.3 percent average).  Dressing percentages (hot carcass weights/live weights) were higher (48.1 percent average), but this was because the organs (heart, liver, and testicles) had been left in the carcasses.

If the organs had been removed (as is common) before carcass weights were determined, the percentages of fat, bone, and lean would be higher for this year's goats.

Warren and Liz Barnes from Summersville, Missouri, had the buck with the best carcass.  Their 72-lb. Kiko buck (#16)  had a lean meat yield of 30.9 percent, 5.3 percent above the group average. It had the biggest rib eye at 1.8 square inches. The group average was 1.0 square inches.  Its dressing percentage  was 52.9 percent.

The carcass evaluation was done by Jeff Semler, David Gordon, and Susan Schoenian.

Download 2010 carcass data in table format
Read full article about 2010 carcass evaluation