Feeding condensed tannin (CT)-containing diets such as sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) and reducing stress have been reported to improve meat quality and food safety in goats. In a completely randomized design with split-plot, thirty-six uncastrated male Spanish goats were assigned to 3 dietary treatments (n = 12/treatment): ground ‘Serala’ sericea lespedeza hay (SER), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay (BG), or bermudagrass hay—dewormed goats (BG-DW; Control) at 75% of intake, with a corn-based supplementation (25%) for 8 weeks. Prior to slaughter, goats were either transported for 90 min to impose stress or held in pens. Basophil counts were lower (p < 0.01) in the SER group compared to BG or BG-DW groups suggesting a better anti-inflammatory capacity due to polyphenols in the SER diet. Compared to BG-DW group, cortisol level was higher (p < 0.05) and norepinephrine was lower (p < 0.05) in the SER group. The SER group had the lowest aerobic plate counts (APC) in both rumen and rectum (p < 0.01). Longissimus dorsi muscle initial pH was not affected by diet or stress. Feeding sericea hay to goats may have beneficial effects, such as enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties during stress and reduced gut microbial counts, without changing meat quality characteristics.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of habituation to livestock trailers on stress responses in goats transported for long periods. Intact male Spanish goats (12-month old; BW = 31.6 ± 0.34 kg; N = 168) were separated into two treatment (TRT) groups and maintained on two different paddocks. Concentrate supplement was fed to one group inside two livestock trailers (5.0 × 2.3 m each; habituated group, H), while the other group received the concentrate supplement, but not inside the trailers (non-habituated, NH). After 4 weeks of habituation period, goats were subjected to a 10-h transportation stress in four replicates (n = 21 goats/replicate/TRT). Blood samples were collected by a trained individual by jugular venipuncture into vacutainer tubes before loading (Preload), 20 min after loading (0 h), and at 2-h intervals thereafter (Time) for analysis of stress responses. There was a tendency for a TRT effect (p < 0.1) on tyramine and metanephrine concentrations. Phenylethylamine and 5-methoxytryptamine concentrations were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the H group compared to the NH group. Both dopamine and 5-methoxytryptamine concentrations decreased (p < 0.05) with transportation time; however, TRT × Time interaction effects were not significant. Habituation to trailers may be beneficial in mood and energy stabilization in goats during long-distance transportation.

Sixteen crossbred buck goats (Kiko x Spanish; BW = 32.8 kg) and wether sheep (Dorset x Suffolk; BW = 39.9 kg) were used to determine the effect of preslaughter diet and feed deprivation time (FDT) on physiological responses and microbial loads on skin and carcasses. Experimental animals were fed either a concentrate (CD) or a hay diet (HD) for 4 d and then deprived of feed for either 12-h or 24-h before slaughter. Blood samples were collected for plasma cortisol and blood metabolite analyses. Longisimus muscle (LM) pH was measured. Skin and carcass swabs were obtained to assess microbial loads. Plasma creatine kinase activity (863.9 and 571.7 ± 95.21 IU) and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations (1,056.1 and 589.8 ± 105.01 mEq/L) were different (P < 0.05) between sheep and goats. Species and diet treatments had significant effects on the ultimate pH of LM. Pre-holding total coliform (TCC) and aerobic plate counts (APC) of skin were significantly different between species. Goats had lower (P < 0.05) TCC (2.1 vs. 3.0 log10 CFU/cm2) and APC (8.2 vs. 8.5 log10 CFU/cm2) counts in the skin compared to sheep. Preslaughter skin E. coli counts and TCC were different (P < 0.05) between species. Goats had lower (P < 0.05) counts of E. coli (2.2 vs. 2.9 log10 CFU/cm2) and TCC (2.3 vs. 3.0 log10 CFU/cm2) in the skin compared with those in sheep. Diet, species, and FDT had no effect (P > 0.05) on E. coli and TCC in carcass swab samples. The APC of carcass swab samples were only affected (P < 0.05) by the FDT. The results indicated that preslaughter dietary management had no significant changes on hormone and blood metabolite concentrations and sheep might be more prone for fecal contamination than goats in the holding pens at abattoir.

This study was conducted to determine if excitability score (ES) in goats can influence their physiological responses when subjected to stress. Thirty-six intact male Spanish goats (8-mo-old) were individually weighed and scored for excitability: 1 for calm (13 goats), 2 for moderately excitable (11 goats), and 3 for highly excitable (12 goats). To impose stress, goats were assigned to one of three treatments (TRT) for 90 min: (i) isolation in an open pen with metal grill panels, (ii) isolation in a pen with side panels covered using tarp sheets, and (iii) no isolation (control). Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 90 min of isolation and physiological data were analyzed using MIXED procedures in SAS. The data from the two isolation treatments were pooled and compared with that of the control group. Plasma cortisol and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were the lowest in goats with ES 1 (p < 0.05). Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratios were also the lowest in goats with a calm temperament (p < 0.01). Application of full quadratic model using response surface methodology (PROC RSREG) in SAS revealed that the influence of ES on physiological stress responses over time was not the same between the TRT groups. The results indicate that physiological stress responses are greater in goats with an excitable temperament compared to goats with a calm temperament.

The effects of breed type (purebred or crossbred) and supplementation of agro-byproducts on the growth, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of landrace hair (Barbados Blackbelly; BB and St. Croix; SX) lambs was evaluated. Thirty-six 7.5-month-old purebred hair (BB and SX; body weight = 24.1 ± 4.26 kg) and terminal sire (Dorset; DO) crossbred lambs (DO × BB and DO × SX; body weight = 31.4 ± 3.50 kg) rotationally grazed predominantly on Jesup tall fescue pasture during spring with or without agro-byproduct supplementation (soyhull or corn gluten feed at 2% of BW). Following a 77d grazing period, the lambs were harvested, and their carcass characteristics and meat composition were evaluated. Both supplementation and crossbreeding significantly increased their carcass weight and primal cuts, whereas only supplementation increased (p < 0.01) the dressing percentage, and crossbreeding increased the shear force (p < 0.01). Regardless of breed type, supplementing agro-byproducts improved the lipid oxidation stability and texture properties of the fresh lamb, whereas the pasture-only lambs had healthier fatty acid profiles compared with the supplemented lambs. The results indicate that both terminal sire crossbreeding and byproduct supplementation can be used to affect the carcass characteristics and meat composition of landrace hair sheep lambs.