ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to predict pregnancy in beef heifers, identifying the most impactful variables using computational modelling. Developmental data of 98 heifers up to 480 days (16 months) of age (Charolais, Nellore, and their crossbreeds) were used. At the beginning and end of the mating season initial body weight (IBW), initial body condition score (IBS), final body weight (FBW), and final body condition score (FBS) were assessed. The age at the start of the mating season […]

ABSTRACT Mothers must allocate limited resources between raising their offspring and maintaining their own biological functions. In both wild and livestock populations, food availability fluctuates with climate, soil fertility, and rainfall, challenging mothers and calves when environmental quality declines. This study evaluated whether maternal investment is influenced by progeny sex and environmental conditions, using coefficients of variation as a measure of evolvability. We analyzed three pre-weaning growth traits in cattle: birth weight (BW), body weight at 120 days (BW120), and […]

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate whether the beef cattle production system enhances the commercial value of beef carcasses. We assessed which characteristics of the production system most significantly influence the carcass grade and consequently the value generated, using a database from a commercial property analyzed through mixed factor analysis. The dataset included information on 3,612 cattle slaughtered commercially from a property in Mato Grosso do Sul in 2019. Qualitative explanatory variables considered were breed, sex, type of finishing, slaughterhouse, […]

ABSTRACT This study quantified production risks and economic feasibility in tropical pasture-based beef systems by integrating a rule-based Minimum Module (MM) framework with Monte Carlo simulation (@Risk 8.0) in Excel 365 using a Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 algorithm. Twelve scenarios combining low (0.5 animal unit [AU] ha⁻1), medium (1.0 AU ha⁻1), and high (1.5 AU ha⁻1) stocking rates across 2017–2020 were each run with 10,000 stochastic iterations to identify the smallest viable herd size and pasture area that ensured non-negative […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to perform a financial analysis of a dairy farm located in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, comprising 500 hectares and a herd of 380 lactating Holstein cows, with an average daily milk production of 12,000 liters, during the year 2022. Based on the collected data, the total revenue (TR), fixed and variable costs and expenses were analyzed monthly and for the entire period. Additionally, operating profit (OP), contribution margin (CM), […]

ABSTRACT This study aimed to analyze the effect of grasslands, meadows, and pastures on the efficiency of dairy farming and cattle farming in Türkiye and European Union countries. The primary data for this study included information on the production of raw milk and cattle meat, nitrogen content in treated manure, dairy cow populations, livestock standard units (LSUs), and the extent of grasslands, meadows, and pastures in both European Union countries and Türkiye. In the study, two distinct models were developed: […]

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to develop an index to measure sustainability in production systems. This sustainability index (iSus) was developed to be adhered to the Brazilian Pampa biome based on experts’ perceptions, in five regions of the Brazilian Pampa biome: Western border, Northwestern border, Campanha, Central, and South. The Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems guidelines, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, were used as reference for the indicators that formed the iSus. After selecting […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze dairy farm characteristics as a function of milk urea nitrogen (MUN) content in the north and west of the state Paraná, Brazil. Milk urea nitrogen serves as an indicator of protein utilization by cows. In view of the high costs of protein in animal diets, this study evaluated farm characteristics that could influence MUN content. For this, 32 dairy farms were randomly selected for application of a questionnaire assessing qualitative and […]

ABSTRACT This research aimed to compare statistical methods (random forest, RIDGE, LASSO, and elastic net regression) for the prediction of body weight in purebred and crossbred pigs reared in Brazil. This prediction was based on dorsal-view images obtained from video image processing. The study involved 69 animals belonging to breeds such as Large White, Piau, Duroc × Large White, and Piau × Large White. The data collection spanned 144 days, with measurements taken at approximately 20-day intervals, totaling eight measurements […]

ABSTRACT This study aimed to develop and assess a deterministic mathematical model for predicting the impacts of varying sow replacement rates on the performance of farms producing weaned piglets. Initially, the influence of replacement rate on herd structure was examined using two equations, which accounted for the percentage of sows replaced (55, 45, and 35%), retention rates between parities (13, 9, and 5%), and number of last parities in the herd (6, 7, and 8). The model then estimated sow […]