Agrisost (Dec 2021)
Evaluation of a Forest-Grazing System on a Pre-Fattening Cattle Farm
Abstract
Context: The productivity of cattle production systems has tended to decrease as a consequence of climate change. The forecasts indicate that rainfall must drop by 60%, so the utilization of leguminous trees constitutes a way of improving feed supply and quality. Aim: To evaluate the behavior of a rotational forest-grazing system made of gramineous and leguminous plants (Pennisetum purpureun cv. CT 169 and Sacharum Oficinarum) on a pre-fattening cattle farm. Methods: The study took place at a Cooperative of Credits and Services, on brown-grayish soil. A randomized block design was used. The average weight for treatment A (25 animals) was 232 kg, whereas the animals in treatment B (25 animals) averaged 236 kg (Holstein-Zebu). The animals were weighed on days 90 and 212, and the evaluations were made in the dry season, using SPSS, version 15.1. At the end of the experiment, the following economic criteria were evaluated: Cost of animal purchasing, cost of salary, sales price, the value of production, and cost-effectiveness. Results: The conversions were acceptable, with favorable live-weight gains, especially in treatment B (516 g/day average) throughout the experiment. The economic-productive results of the forest-grazing system were higher than the results observed using the traditional system. Cost-effectiveness was 23.32% higher than the ones produced by the traditional system. Conclusions: Forest-grazing systems are a low-input pre-fattening alternative that permits obtaining gains of over 500g/d when compared to the traditional system.
