TITLE:
Meat Quality Characteristics of Goats Fed Sericea Lespedeza- or Alfalfa-Based Diets Supplemented with Dried Distillers Grains with Soluble
AUTHORS:
Donielle Pannell, Brou Kouakou, Jung Hoon Lee
KEYWORDS:
Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles, Meat Goats, Chevon Quality, Fatty Acid Composition, Alternative Feed Ingredients
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.17 No.10,
October
9,
2026
ABSTRACT: Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), a coproduct of the bioethanol industry, are a nutrient-rich feed ingredient that can serve as an economical alternative to conventional protein and energy sources in ruminant diets. However, information regarding their effects on meat quality in goats remains limited, particularly when combined with tannin-containing forages. This study evaluated the effects of dietary DDGS supplementation in alfalfa- and sericea lespedeza-based diets on the physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of chevon. Thirty-six intact male Spanish goats (24 ± 1.8 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to one of four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets: alfalfa hay (AL), alfalfa hay with DDGS (ALDS), sericea lespedeza hay (SL), or sericea lespedeza hay with DDGS (SLDS). Following a 60-day feeding period, longissimus dorsi muscle samples were analyzed for meat quality and fatty acid composition. Dietary treatment did not affect dry matter intake, average daily gain, instrumental color, muscle pH, moisture, crude protein, intramuscular fat, lipid oxidation, tenderness, or cooking loss (P > 0.05). Ash content was greater in goats fed the SL diet than in those fed the AL diet (P