Benzoic acid (BA) and essential oils (EOs) (thymol, 2-methoxyphenol, eugenol, piperine, and curcumin) are being studied to minimize the impairment of gastrointestinal functions in weanling piglets. This study evaluates the effects of combining BA and EO on the performance and intestinal health of piglets challenged with E. coli F4 (1 mL, 106 CFU/mL). In total, 270 weaned piglets were used in a randomized block design with six treatments: positive control, with 40 mg/kg colistin (PC); negative control, without the growth promoter (NC); negative control +5 g/kg benzoic acid (BA); negative control +2 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO2); negative control +3 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO3); negative control +4 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO4). BA+EO3 presented a greater average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.0013) and better feed-to-gain ratio (p = 0.0138), compared to NC, from 21 to 35 days age. For the total period, BA, BA+EO3, and BA+EO4 were similar to PC and superior to NC for ADG (p = 0.0002) and final body weight (BW) (p = 0.0002). No difference (p > 0.05) was verified for diarrhea, microbial population, production of volatile fatty acids, pH, weight of organs, cellular proliferation, and cholecystokinin count. NC and BA+EO4 resulted in a higher villus height in the jejunum (p = 0.0120) compared to BA+EO3. The use of BA or the combination of BA and EO at 3 g/kg provides improved performance, aside from being an economically viable alternative to replace colistin.

This paper aims to present a tool that offers pig producers a standard method to calculate and control their production costs and, consequently, provides the necessary information to guide strategic decision-making. Following these premises, a mathematical model to estimate swine production costs were developed using Microsoft Excel® software (version 2207). Case studies were used to assist in the characterization and construction of the model. Through the panel method, the tool was validated by professionals in the sector. Costs were considered according to the Neoclassical Economic Theory of Costs and allocated in the order of variable costs, fixed operating costs, and opportunity costs of capital and land. These costs together create the total cost. The model provides the total cost per batch, per market pig, per arroba, and per kilogram, which facilitates the interpretation of the results and economic evaluations of the system. The model is adaptable to different types of swine farming, as well as the consideration of all costs involved in the production system, whether explicit or implicit. The model developed has the potential to be used as a management tool in commercial swine production systems, assisting the producer in the decision-making process through the management and control of production costs.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of piglets in the nursery phase in the presence of pure sisal ropes, soaked with different flavors as a means of environmental enrichment. Sixty-four piglets with 35 days of age in the nursery phase were used, piglets were randomly distributed in a completely randomized design in 16 pens, with four animals in each pen and there was no separation of pens by group. Three treatments were used: Pure rope (PR) which was considered the control of the pen, rope soaked in vanilla essence and sugar (SV), and rope soaked in coffee (SC). An ethogram was prepared for observations of the following behavioral parameters, eating, drinking, urinating, defecating, lying down, standing, playful, and others. The parameters were measured every 10 minutes in a total of three daily assessments with two hours each for a period of three days. There was a greater preference of piglets for the SV rope with a percentage of 63.2% in the observations of the interactions. A possible justification for the result is the fact that this rope is the most palatable for piglets since piglets prefer sweet tastes. The PR rope aroused curiosity in the piglets, with a percentage of observations of 21.4%. Therefore, the use of equipment flavored with sweet vanilla taste is promising as a means of environmental enrichment, being more interesting to piglets.

No abstract

Resumo Objetivou-se investigar os fatores que geram demanda de empresas alimentícias por ovos produzidos com nível mais elevado de bem-estar animal e como essa transição interfere na configuração das estruturas de governança do sistema agroindustrial de ovos. Os dados foram obtidos de uma empresa multinacional do ramo de massas, molhos e biscoitos por meio de um estudo de caso, em que foi aplicado questionário eletrônico, tendo, posteriormente, sido analisados e interpretados. A motivação da empresa para exigir ovos produzidos com mais grau de bem-estar animal foi mantê-la competitiva no mercado. Desta forma, esperam-se mudanças na especificidade dos ativos e nas incertezas, mantendo-se a frequência das transações. Os pressupostos comportamentais continuarão presentes e o ambiente institucional tende a se caracterizar por mais valorização pela sociedade da ética e do bem-estar na produção animal.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of a phytogenic compound for pigs in the growing and finishing phases as a possible substitute for ractopamine. A total of 140 pigs with an average initial weight of 48.8 kg ± 5.9 kg were used, distributed in a randomized block design, in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme (control diet (CONT), diet with inclusion of 2.5 kg per ton of a phytogenic compound (PC), and diet with 10 ppm of ractopamine (RAC), and two sexes: gilts and barrows), distributed in eight pens per treatment. The performance parameters were measured, and, at the end of the experimental period, the animals were slaughtered for carcass characteristics and pork quality analysis. The animals consuming RAC showed a better feed conversion, 4% improvement in relation to the group with the PC (p < 0.05). For daily weight gain, the animals supplemented with the PC showed 4.46% lower gain compared to RAC, and 3% greater gain compared to the CONT (p < 0.05). The animals that consumed the PC showed 5.6% lower shear force of the pork (p < 0.05) in relation to the CONT group and 29% lower in relation to the RAC group. The TBARS value presented a significant difference (p < 0.05), the CONTT group was 29% higher than the RAC, and the PC was 15.5% higher than the RAC. For chroma, the pork of the RAC group was 14% lower than the CONTT group and 10.3% less than the PC. There was no significant difference for the carcass parameters. It was concluded that the pigs in the ractopamine group presented the best performance; however, the phytogenic compound can be used against ractopamine’s restriction because it improves daily weight gain and promotes a softer and less pale meat when compared with ractopamine.

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the zootechnical performance indicators and the price main cost items on the total production cost of feedlot beef cattle. We used a mathematical model of the production cost, which considered the cost of the items according to the Economic Theory. Costs were allocated into: i) variable costs, ii) fixed costs, and iii) factor income. A survey was carried out in 2015, with ten farmers in the state of São Paulo, to define the technical indicators of production. The representative property was defined with 27 thousand animals slaughtered per year. The spot prices used in our analysis were collected in December 2019. Elasticity was calculated and expressed as a relationship between two interrelated functional variables. We estimated elasticities for the variables: animals purchase of 355 kg ($1.78/kg), feed price ($0.17/kg of dry matter), interest rate (4.5%), average daily gains (1.616 kg), and carcass yield (55.46%). This way we compared the variation of total cost per carcass kilo caused by increases of 1% in each of the considered variables. In the base scenario, production cost was US$ 3.11/kg and the variable cost of the activity represented 94.9% of the total costs, which of purchase animals, feed and variable taxes were 69.5%, and 20.6% and 3.8%, respectively. Increases of 1% in each of those variables caused variations of, respectively, +0,71%, +0,21%, 0,01%, -0,98%, and -0,98% on production cost unit. In conclusion, the purchase price of animals for feedlot activity is interrelated to the total cost. The average daily gains and carcass yield is also a zootechnical performance that presented a direct relation with the reduction of total costs. Thus, this demonstrates that farmers should improve management practices in the purchase of inputs and the performance of animal production.

The aims were to evaluate and compare the total cost (TC) and feedlot cattle production cost index (ICBC) in the states of São Paulo (SP) and Goiás (GO) from April of 2017 until December of 2019. In addition, the progress of ICBC was compared with the General Price Index - Internal Availability (IGP-DI) in that same period. This research has been developed at the Laboratory of Socioeconomic Analyses and Animal Science (LAE) of the University of São Paulo (USP). The LAE monitors all the prices of basic inputs used in the feedlot system monthly these states and updates the data to create the ICBC. The feedlot of the states of SP and GO were delimited in three representative properties, two for SP (CSPm and CSPg) and one for GO (CGO). We found that among the evaluation period the accumulated inflation by the IGP-DI was 15.1%, while in the ICBC it was 22%, 21.7% and 38.3% for CSPm, CSPg and CGO, respectively. In other words, there was a real increase of 6.9%, 6.6% and 23.2%, in that same order, for farmers. CSPm, CSPg and CGO showed similar TC in April 2017 and September 2019. However, in October 2019 the TC per kg of live weight (LW) increased until the end of the evaluation period (December 2019), this being $3.52, $3.46 and $3.62 per kg of LW, respectively. Our findings on cost items increased more in the State of GO than SP. Purchase animals and the inputs of the diet were the main cost items that influence the TC. It was concluded that in the southeast and central-western regions of Brazil, farmers had real increases in their production costs in the feedlot. Furthermore, there was greater variability in ICBC compared to IGP-DI.