Assessment of follicle density of leather from native brazilian goat breeds: quality criteria

The conservation in situ of zoogenetic resources requires the characterization of the production of local breeds. It is so far possible to evaluate and occasionally to improve the productive characters, making the breeding of those animals profitable for the producer. With this purpose a variety of works about the productive capacities of goat local breeds are being carried out in different countries, this contributing to avoid the biodiversity loss. The native goat breeds of Brazilian northeast highlight for their wildness, meat aptitude and skin usefulness. The final quality of the goat leather depends on a combination of factors that involve the whole process, from the livestock farmer to the leather transformation systems. The grain appearance of the leather characterizes the aesthetic-commercial value of the leather. A good appearance is given by a high and uniform follicle density. This work evaluates the superficial appearance of completed leathers of the breeds Moxotó and Canindé, highlighting the importance of the derived products of the local breeds, its contribution to the conservation of the genetic, cultural and socio-economic patrimony through differentiated products of high quality and the impact of the zoogenetic resources in the sustainable rural development of the semi-arid areas of Brazil.La conservación in situ de los recursos zoogenéticos requiere también la caracterización de la producción ligada a esas razas. Con ella se puede evaluar y en su caso mejorar los caracteres productivos, haciendo la cría de esas razas animales rentable para el ganadero. Con esta finalidad se vienen desarrollando diversos trabajos sobre las capacidades productivas de las razas locales caprinas en diversos países, contribuyendo así a evitar la pérdida de biodiversidad. Las razas caprinas nativas del nordeste brasileño destacan por su rusticidad, aptitud cárnica y el aprovechamiento de sus pieles. La calidad final del cuero de caprino depende de una combinación de factores que engloba desde el productor hasta el sistema de transformación. La apariencia de la superficie de la flor caracteriza el valor estético-comercial del cuero. La buena apariencia viene dada por la alta y uniforme densidad folicular. Este trabajo evalúa la apariencia superficial de cueros acabados de razas Moxotó y Canindé. Se pretende destacar la importancia de los productos derivados de las razas locales, su contribución a la conservación del patrimonio genético, cultural y socio-económico a través de productos diferenciados de alta calidad y el impacto de los recursos zoogenéticos en el desarrollo rural sostenible de las zonas semiáridas de Brasil

Leather: a contribution to sustainable goat production

Brazilian Northeast is a potentially good skin producer region due to its livestock farming activities which include more than 90% national goat cense. This exceptional situation with plenty raw material at hand, enables the development of familiar exploitations of goat skin tannery, thus recovering an activity linked to ancestral culture. Misevaluation of leather both by producers and industry, added to unstructured production and lack of research aimed to improve the quality of the final product could be key factors to the poor development of goat leather manufacture up to now in Northeast Brazil. Nevertheless, once transformed this product is reaching high values in international and Brazilian national markets, thus permitting it to became an important income source in the disfavoured Brazilian northeastern arid regions. If producers become aware of the value of their leather and if they are duly remunerated, industry will be offered better products and society will improve employment and performance. The main objective of the present paper is to contribute to point out the possibilities of leather production in the development of goat farming communities form disfavoured regions as a tool to improve the dignity and the quality of life of the producers. Moreover, the development of tannery in rural regions could help to the conservation of animal genetic resources (AGR) of local goat breeds thus contributing to sustainable development in arid or degraded regions.O Nordeste brasileiro, pela sua condição de região agropecuária, é potencialmente bom produtor de peles, superando 90% da população caprina nacional. Esta situação privilegiada, com a matéria-prima ao alcance da indústria coureira, pode permitir o desenvolvimento do curtume de peles de caprino de exploração familiar. Isto representaria a recuperação dessa atividade vinculada a uma cultura tradicional e a garantia de empregos numa região carente. A desvalorização da pele, como produto, pelo produtor e pela indústria, associada à desestruturação da produção, inexistência de cadeia produtiva e carência de pesquisa que contribua para obtenção de um produto de qualidade, são pontos críticos do freio no desenvolvimento da indústria de transformação da pele caprina. Porém, esta matéria-prima alcança alto valor no mercado internacional e nacional brasileiro, como produto transformado, sendo importante fonte de renda. Por isso, enquanto não houver consciência por parte do produtor e não houver remuneração justa da sua atividade, perde a indústria, pela oferta de matéria-prima de menor qualidade e, indiretamente, perde a sociedade, pela falta de geração de emprego e renda. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é contribuir para discussão das possibilidades sobre a produção do couro no desenvolvimento das comunidades caprinocultoras de zonas desfavoráveis do semi-árido nordestino, como ferramenta na melhoria da dignidade e qualidade de vida dos produtores. Além de tudo, o desenvolvimento do curtume em zonas rurais permitiria a conservação dos recursos genéticos animais de caprinos autóctones, contribuindo na direção da pesquisa para o desenvolvimento sustentável

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs fed high levels of spineless cactus in the diet

The objective was to evaluate the effect of increasing the dietary inclusion of spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm Dyck) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality of confined lambs. Thirty-two male Santa Inês lambs with an average age of 140 days and an initial body weight of 20.4 ± 2.60 kg were used in this study. The lambs were housed in individual stalls for 70 days and individually fed a ration with spineless cactus included at 0, 241, 519, or 753 g/kg of dry matter (DM). The lambs were slaughtered, and characteristics of the carcass and meat were recorded and analysed. Inclusion of spineless cactus had a quadratic effect on the bodyweight at slaughter and on the empty bodyweight of the lambs. The inclusion of 500 g/kg of spineless cactus provided the highest predicted cold carcass weight (16.03 kg). There was a quadratic effect of the inclusion of spineless cactus on the weight of meat cuts and leg composition of lambs. The inclusion of spineless cactus did not influence pH, tenderness, and water-retention capacity of the meat. However, the intramuscular fat content increased 1 mg for every 10 g/kg inclusion of spineless cactus in the diet. Quadratic effects were observed of the inclusion of spineless cactus on the weights of the liver, heart, rumen, blood, skin and internal fat of the lambs. Up to 500 g/kg of spineless cactus could be included in the diet of confined lambs

Nutritional and mineral composition of Opuntia stricta Haw: Balance of macrominerals, renal function and blood metabolites in sheep

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of spineless cactus (Opuntia stricta Haw) in the diet of sheep on the balance of macrominerals, renal function, and blood metabolites. Five sheep cannulated in the rumen (61.5±9.5kg body weight) were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square composed of five diets and five experimental periods. The experimental period lasted 105 days, with five periods of 21 days each. Four diets containing levels of spineless cactus (121, 245, 371, and 500g/kg of dry matter (DM)), and a control diet were evaluated. Samples of the ingredients, orts, feces, urine, and blood were collected. Spineless cactus inclusion in sheep diets increased the DM intake, ash, oxalate, and all macrominerals intake (P 0.05). It is possible to verify that the inclusion of spineless cactus, up to the level of 500g/kg of DM in the sheep diets, does not appear to cause damage to the animal’s health. Its inclusion does not compromise kidney function or blood metabolites evaluated herein