Another aim of the project is to make statements about the meat quality of kid meat under different rearing methods. Examining the economic viability of the two rearing methods is also a goal of the project.

Kidneying is expected to begin in the goat herd at the Raumberg-Gumpenstein Agricultural Research and Training Center (LFZ) at the end of January 2012. The kids will be weaned from their mothers immediately after birth and bottle-fed colostrum. After the colostrum phase, the kids will be divided into two groups. One group will receive whole goat milk (VW), and the second group will receive a commercially available milk replacer (MR) for goats. Both the whole milk and the milk replacer will be administered as a cold acidified drink to ensure the kids have constant access to milk. Acidification is achieved by adding 2 ml/l of 80% formic acid. The cold milk is administered via rubber teats connected to the storage container by a line with a check valve. The milk is given ad libitum. In addition to the milk, the kids will also have free access to concentrated feed and hay.
The kids will be kept in deep-litter pens, with four kids per pen. Each group consists of 16-20 kids, depending on lambing success. The kids are weighed weekly and slaughtered after a 9-week rearing period. During rearing, the daily amount of whole milk or milk replacer consumed, as well as the daily intake of hay and concentrate, is recorded.
Carcass weight and pH value are determined one hour after slaughter. After 24 hours of cooling, the weight and pH value are recorded again. After a week of aging in the cold storage, the carcasses of 20 kids are butchered into the following cuts: neck, back, shoulder, leg, and breast. A sample is taken from the leg to determine meat quality. Meat quality parameters include color, shear strength, cooking and grilling losses, fatty acid profile, and chemical analysis for dry matter, fat, protein, and crude ash.
An economic analysis of the results completes the project.

Further information on project implementation can be found in the database for research and sustainable development (Dafne) -> Link