Carcass and commercial cuts yields of caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) farmed in a ranching system in the Brazilian Pantanal.

ABSTRACT

Given the growing use of alternative sources of protein, studies on the commercial viability of amazonians wild species, based on the yield of their carcass, are still scarce in the literature. To evaluate yields of carcass and commercial cuts of caiman meat (Caiman crocodilus yacare), according to sex and weight categories, besides analyzing their revenue. Thirty animals in termination phase were selected, separated by sex and weighed. The cuts analyzed was of 59.7% in relation to total live weight, and of 70.7% in relation to the carcass. Regarding the yields of the cuts, the average weight difference in detriment to the sex of the animals was minimal, however, in the weight categories, animals classified as intermediate and heavy (5.9-9.1 kg) resulted in higher cut weights (p < 0.01) and consequently in revenue for most of the meat cuts (66.7%), especially for tail, back, and sirloin fillets. It can be concluded that the carcass yield of caiman is high, and that heavy animals resulted in higher yields of prime cuts, emphasizing the need to carry out studies that prioritize the cost/benefit ratio taking into account the age and weight of the animals.