Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the carcass characteristics of Mahali (M), Damascus (D) and Morcia Granada (G) goats and their crosses. Live weight, carcass weight, dressing-out %, rib eye muscle area, non-carcass components and kidney fat were measured. The results showed significant superiority of Damascus goats in live weight (65.8 kg), carcass weight (34.3 kg), dressing-out %( 52.1%), rib eye muscle areas (22.7 cm²) over the Mahali and Morcia Granada goats. The crossbred group (1/2 M ҳ 1/2 D) was superior in live weight (50 kg), carcass weight (24.2kg), dressing-out %( 48.4%), and rib eye muscle area (21.2cm²) over other crossbreds. The crossbred group (3⁄4D ҳ 1⁄4M) was superior in live weight (61.7kg), carcass weight (31 kg) and rib eye muscle area (21.3cm²) over the other 3⁄4 crossbreds. This study indicated that crossing between Mahali ҳ Damascus breed was beneficial for increasing live weight, carcass weight and meat production.