To evaluate the effect of different levels of feed restriction on carcass traits, twenty-one F1-Boer x Saanen goats weighting 15 kg LW were allocated to one of the three treatments (0, 30 and 60% restriction). The feed intake for the 0% restriction treatment animals determined the intake for the animals in the 30 and 60% restriction treatment. When animals from 0% of feed restriction reached 25 kg of LW, they and their pair-feeding were submitted to a feed and water fasting during 24 h and 16 h, respectively. After fasting, animals were slaughtered by electric discharged. In addition, bleeding and organs removing were performed. The weight gain (g/day) were 211,03, 126,15 and 11,71; the feed efficiency was 0,20, 0,18 and 0,03; the slaughtering weight (kg) were 25,44, 20,91 and 15,82 for 0, 30 e 60% restriction treatment, respectively. Warn carcass, cold carcass and biological yields were no affected by feed restriction. Only, shoulder and loin proportions were affected by feed restriction with a linear increase of shoulder yield and a linear decrease of loin yield. Feed restriction reduced fat yield and increased bone proportion. Moderate levels of feed restriction permitted to produce goat carcasses with good quality and yield, as well as high muscle proportion and low fat content. Depends on the cost: benefit ratio feed restriction should be consider an adequate alternative for meat goat producer.
pallete; leg; empty body weight; cold carcass yield
