Studies on the meat production characteristics of Botswana goats and sheep-Part II: General body composition, carcase measurements and joint composition.

The present paper gives data on the general body composition, carcase size, weight and joint composition of indigenous Botswana goats and sheep of various age and sex groupings. Data on a small group of entire milk tooth male Boer goats are also presented. Indigenous male castrate goats developed larger and heavier carcases than sheep of a similar background with increasing age, although differences were not significant after correction for empty body weight (ebw). Castrate male indigenous sheep produced highest carcase and offal yields at the two tooth stage. Although mature female goats had significantly heavier ebws than the female sheep, the latter had significantly heavier carcases and heavier dressing out percentages (DO%) at equivalent ebws. The Boer goats had higher ebws, carcase weights and DO% than the indigenous goats of similar age while the indigenous castrates had larger and heavier carcases than the entires. The goats had proportionally heavier leg and shoulder joints whereas the sheep had heavier loins.