After verifying productive improvements from the crossbreeding (MB) of Boer males with females of the Murciano-Granadina (MG) breed, the aim of this work was to determine its consequences on the carcass and meat characteristics of suckling kids (9 kg of weight at slaughter) of both sexes. A total of 94 kids (25 purebred MG males, 19 purebred MG females, 25 crossed MB males and 25 crossed MB females) were used. It was found that MB kids reached slaughter weight at a younger age (44 ± 1 vs. 63 ± 1 days, p < 0.001). For carcass yield, the interaction genotype x sex was observed, where MB females presented a higher value (51.71 ± 0.34%) than the rest of the animals (MB males 50.53 ± 0.34, p < 0.05; MG males 50.60 ± 0.34, p < 0.05; MG females 49.62 ± 0.39, p < 0.001). MB kids had greater leg compactness, (36.28 ± 0.27 vs. 34.71 ± 0.29 g/cm, p < 0.001), slightly improved expensive carcass cuts (75.93 ± 0.31 vs. 74.77 ± 0.34%, p = 0.014) and higher muscle/bone (2.93 ± 0.03 vs. 2.76 ± 0.03, p < 0.001) and meat/bone ratios (3.56 ± 0.04 vs. 3.36 ± 0.04, p < 0.001) than MG kids. They also showed a somewhat more intense red colour (8.57 ± 0.25 vs. 7.74 ± 0.27, p = 0.027), higher colour saturation (9.06 ± 0.24 vs. 8.20 ± 0.26, p = 0.016) and less meat firmness (1.95 ± 0.08 vs. 2.23 ± 0.081 kg/cm², p = 0.021). On the other hand, males had a slightly improved proportion of expensive cuts (75.98 ± 0.31 vs. 74.73 ± 0.34, p = 0.008), but their carcass contained a higher proportion of bone (22.16 ± 0.21 vs. 21.17 ± 0.17%; p < 0.001), a lower proportion of intermuscular fat (9.54 ± 0.24 vs. 10.93 ± 0.24, p < 0.001), a higher muscle/fat ratio (5.01 ± 0.10 vs. 4.41 ± 0.10, p < 0.001) and lower muscle/bone (2.80 ± 0.03 vs. 2.89 ± 0.03%, p = 0.016) and meat/bone ratios (3.36 ± 0.04 vs. 3.56 ± 0.04%, p < 0.001) than females. There were no sensory differences in any case. It is concluded that this crossbreeding strategy also improves the carcass and meat characteristics, making it a valid alternative to improve the productive results of MG dairy goat herds.

Organic acids (OAs) are employed in animal feed to regulate gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhoea thanks to their ability to modulate the gastrointestinal environment and their antimicrobial capacity. However, there is not enough evidence regarding the most adequate OA and its effectiveness in rabbit farming. Therefore, the aim of this study was to screen and evaluate the response of young rabbits to six OAs, administered via drinking water, at three different concentrations (pH levels). Organic acids (acetic, ACET; formic, FOR; propionic, PROP; lactic, LAC; citric, CIT; and butyric, BUT) were tested at three concentrations (pH 3, 4, and 5). A negative control (CON; non-acidified water) was also included. We used 240 weaned rabbits (28 days old) divided into 2 batches. In each batch, animals were randomly allocated to 1 of the 19 experimental treatments and were housed in group cages of 6 animals per cage, treatment, and batch. Among the 240 rabbits, an additional cage with 6 animals was included to determine the initial physiological state of the animals. All animals were fed with commercial pelleted feed throughout the whole experiment. The duration of the study was 7 days, until 35 days of age. At 31 and 35 days of age, in each batch, three animals per day and treatment were slaughtered. The pH of the digestive contents in the fundus, antrum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum, as well as the gastric pepsin enzyme activity, was measured. Water and feed consumption per cage and individual body weight (BW) were recorded daily. The type and dosage of OAs affected water intake. ACET 3, PROP 3, and BUT 3 reduced water intake compared to CON, negatively impacting feed intake and weight gain. FOR and CIT acids led to the highest BW and weight gain at 35 days, compared to PROP, LAC, and BUT (p < 0.05); showing ACET intermediate values. While OAs had limited effects on gastric and small intestine pH, acidified water at pH 4 and 5 lowered ileum and caecum pH (p < 0.05) compared to pH 3. Acidified water at pH 4 showed the highest (p < 0.05) pepsin activity compared to pH 3 and pH 5. Considering the limited sample size and short-term assessment period of our screening test, the OAs with the highest potential for use in post-weaning rabbits were FOR, ACET, and CIT at pH 4. The selected combinations did not exhibit any early adverse effects in young rabbits. These results should be further confirmed in a broader population of animals. It would also be advisable to extend the application of OAs over longer periods to evaluate their effects throughout the entire growing period of rabbits.