| Summary: | Twenty-eight Boer × Saanen castrated male goats (21.6 ± 3.0 kg of initial body weigh) were distributed in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of increasing levels (0, 100, 200 or 300 g/kg, in dry matter basis) of dietary babassu mesocarp flour (BMF) on performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and meat physical and chemical composition. When significant treatment effects were found, data were submitted to orthogonal polynomials for treatment responses. BMF did not change the intake and digestibility of dry matter and crude protein. However, it increased linearly the total carbohydrates intake (<i>p</i> = 0.013), neutral detergent fiber intake (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and digestibility (<i>p</i> = 0.027), while it decreased linearly the intake of non-fibrous carbohydrates (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and ether extract (<i>p</i> < 0.001), without changing their digestibility (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The dressing percentage (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and rib eye area (<i>p</i> = 0.024) had a quadratic effect with increasing levels of BMF. The total gastrointestinal weight (TGI) had an increased linear effect (<i>p</i> = 0.001), while the proportion of rumen (<i>p</i> = 0.010), omasum (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and abomasum (<i>p</i> = 0.001) increased linearly with BMF addition. The same effects were presented in leg weight (<i>p</i> = 0.045) and muscle weight (<i>p</i> = 0.049). Weight and yields of commercial cuts and meat physicochemical composition did not change (<i>p</i> > 0.05) with inclusion levels of BMF. The addition of babassu mesocarp flour up to 200 g/kg in the diet of male goat can improve the dressing percentage without major changes in meat physical and chemical traits, representing an attractive alternative feed.
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