A bio-economic model was developed to calculate costs and revenues to obtain economic values (EV) for performance traits of beef cattle in production systems in Brazil. Performance records, economic and biologic parameters were obtained from a Nelore breeding herd. Two production systems: complete breeding cycle (CbcR) and cow-calf (Cc) were simulated using a deterministic and static model. Costs, revenues and the annual profits were calculated using Excel® to obtain the economic values for weaning weight (WW), mature weight (MW), pregnancy […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate muscle composition and physical-chemical characteristics of 20 intact and castrated crossbred Ideal male lambs exposed to either a short photoperiod (SP) of 12 h or to a long photoperiod (LP) of 18 h. Animals were randomly assigned to four treatments (T) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with five repetitions as follows: intact lambs exposed to a SP; castrated lambs exposed to a SP; intact lambs exposed to a LP or […]

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to analyze the efficiency of a beef production system in which technologies were adopted during eight years (1995 to 2002). Ten inputs and one output were used to evaluate the production system efficiency applying principal component analysis. The inputs “mineral salt/vaccine/medication”, “workforce and social security” and “investment” were significantly correlated with the first three components that explained 91.6% of the total variance. The efficiencies calculated by DEA for 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, […]

The economic viability of milk production in small family farms (SFF) in São Carlos, SP, from 1998 to 2001, after implementation of several technical and management actions in order to increase production was studied. Six SFF with sizes varying from 4.2 to 27.2 hectares and milk production as the main economical activity were selected. The technical actions implemented in each SFF were: agricultural: a) feeding: cropping and feeding sugar-cane + urea in the dry-season, concentrate supplementation according to the cow […]

The objective of this study was to analyze the situation of the beef cattle industry in Brazil after changes in the production/commercialization system with the Mercosul advent. It was closely investigated not only beef cattle production indexes but also amounts of meat produced, consumed, and exported after 1990. Results showed that Brazil has potential to increase meat exportation but that will depend of actions channeled to improve herd sanitary conditions, political issues, and overall production efficiency.

The objective of this study was to economically evaluate feedlot finished steers and young steers from two genetic groups: 5/8Charolais (CH) 3/8Nellore (NE) and 5/8NE 3/8CH. The average age of animals at the end of the experimental period was 22.8 and 15.2 months for steers and young steers, respectively. Animals were maintained in the feedlot until reach the previously established slaughter weight of 430 kg. Animals were fed a diet containing a forage:concentrate ratio of 60:40 with the following chemical […]