Effects of different milk replacers on carcass traits, meat quality, meat color and fatty acids profile of dairy goat kids

• We investigated the effect of different milk replacers in kids suckling system.
• We observe their effect on carcass traits, meat composition, fatty acids profile and color.
• Only fatty acids profile and meat color seems to be affected by milk replacers used.

The aim of the work is to evaluate the effect of diet (goat milk, warm milk replacer or acidified milk replacer) on the growth, slaughtering performances, meat quality and fat composition of suckling kids of the Saanen breed. A total of 120 Saanen kids were used for the trial. They were born within 48 h from 60 goats that had the twin parturition. They were randomly divided into three treatment experimental group, each made up of 40 animals, of both sex, and housed in three different pens. One group was fed with natural milk by their dams, and kids remained with their mothers until 45 days of life. One group was fed with a milk replacer and one group was fed with an acid milk replacer. Live weight, hot and cold carcass weight, dressing percentage, chemical composition and fatty acids profile and meat colorimetric parameters were investigated. No effects were observed on live weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage and carcass composition. Fatty acid profile was affected by feeding system. Kids fed with goat milk showed meat richer in some saturated fatty acids as C10:0, C17:0 (P < 0.05), C14:0, C16:0 (P < 0.01). Meat of kids fed with acid milk replacer showed lower concentration of total SFA (P < 0.01) and higher concentration of total MUFA, PUFA (P < 0.05) and UFA (P < 0.01). Moreover, meat color seems to be affected by warm milk replacer, in fact meat was characterized by lower lightness and higher yellowness and hue. Artificial suckling seems to improve the FA quality of kids meat, improving the PUFA quantity. In fact, the increased consumption of foods with low level of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), containing a low n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio correlates with favorable human health conditions. Moreover, artificial feeding could improve milk quantity destined to market in order to improve its profitability.