GROSS MORPHOMETRICAL ANALYSIS OF MUSCLES OF DIFFERENT BODY REGIONS OF ADULT WETHER (CASTRATED BLACK BENGAL GOAT) AND ITS CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

The morphometrical analysis of muscles of different body regions and carcass characteristics of adult wethers (castrated black Bengal goat) were studied. This experiment was conducted in the Department of Anatomy and Histology during the period from February to May 2005. Muscles of different body regions of wether were found to differ in length, breadth and thickness. Highest length (38.7 ± 0.7 cm) was recorded in rectus abdominis and followed by brachiocephalicus (38.5 ± 0.1 cm), sternomandibularis (30.5 ± 0.9 cm), sternohyoideus (29.7 ± 0.2 cm) and sternathyroideus (29 ± 1.5 cm) muscles. The abdominal muscles, especially the transversus abdominis muscle possessed highest breadth (13.7 ± 0.9 cm) were wider than the other muscles of the body. The craniolateral muscles of thigh had the highest thickness in comparison to other muscles of the body. Carcass characteristics regarding hot carcass weight, dressing percentage and percentage of lean, fat and bone were studied. Dressing percentage, lean, fat and bone percentages were 59.34 ± 0.5, 60.91 ± 1.03, 14.78 ± 1.13 and 24.30 ± 0.2 respectively. This study revealed that the length, breadth and thickness of muscles varied between the different groups of muscles, and also in the same group of muscles of the body and castrated Black Bengal goat had the lean percentage similar to the other breeds of world but a little higher bone percentage and lower fat percentage than the other breeds of the world.