The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation on the carcass characteristics of crossbred Boer goats finished on native pasture. Twenty-four Boer crossbreed goats were used, 120 days old and with an initial 15.52 kg BW. The supplemental feeding was randomly assigned to the animals according to a completely randomized design with 4 supplementation levels (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) and six replications (goats). The animals had access to the pasture from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. throughout the experimental period and were taken to stalls to receive supplemental feeding in individual cages equipped with hods and a water. Full and empty digestive tract (DT) were weighed, as well as the bladder and gall bladder to obtain the empty body weight (EBW). The visceras yield tended to be different from that observed for absolute weight, except for hoof yield that presented a decreasing linear behavior. The hot and cold carcass weights and the yields and the empty body weight and the biological yield presented positively response to the supplementation levels. Regarding the participation of wholesale cuts in the carcass, only the neck yield presented linear effect in response to the increase in supplementation levels. Full digestive tract and digestive content weights did not respond to the supplementation levels. The digestive content weight was decisive for the effect of supplemental feeding in the full digestive tract weight. Wholesale cuts weight responded positively to the supplementation levels.
forage; morfometry; shoulder; slaughter
