**4. Main factors that affect carcass and meat quality in goat**

There are several factors that affect the final quality of the product related to carcass and meat. Those, as it is compiled in **Figure 1**, can be classified as intrinsic or extrinsic [22].

Due to the high quantity and variability of factors, only some of them will be discussed in the current chapter, those which usually produce more variations. Thus, as intrinsic factors,

**Figure 1.** Main factors that modified carcass and meat quality in goat. *Source*: Adapted from Ref. [22].

we will analyze **breed** or breed type (dairy vs. meat aptitude, rustics vs. specialized breeds), **age or weight** at slaughter, and **gender** and, as extrinsic factors, we will analyze the effects of **production system**, type of suckling (dam's milk vs. milk replacer), and post-slaughter **aging**.
