The quality profiles of meat (e.g. pH, color, pigment concentrations, cooking loss, shear force value, and eating quality of cooked meat) from both castrated and intact feral goats started to decrease when animals were slaughtered at heavier liveweights (e.g. above 88 lb.).The nutritive value of the meat (chemical compositions, fatty acids and total cholesterol concentrations) changed when animals were castrated and had heavier slaughter weights.
In another study, Australian researchers looked at the meat quality of entire and castrated male Boer goats (n=60) raised under Australian conditions. Between 3 and 5 animals were slaughtered at 11, 33, 66, 99, 132, 165, 198, and 231 lb. liveweight. 11 and 33 lb. bucks were not castrated.
In this study, shear force values were affected by slaughter weight, but not by castration of bucks. Shear force is a measurement of tenderness. All eating quality scores were influenced by slaughter weight, but not by castration. Flavor, as predicted by eating quality scores, was the most important attribute that contributed to overall acceptability of the goat meat.
Sources: CABI abstract, Science Direct Abstract
