ECONOMIC RESPONSE OF THE USE OF DIFFERENT ADDITIVES ON MAIZE SILAGE (Zea mays L.) IN THE SYSTEM OF FINISHING CATTLE IN CONFINEMENT

Abstract

The experiment aimed to evaluate the response of the economic use of different additives on maizesilage in the system of finishing cattle in confinement. The evaluated treatments were: T1 - conventional silage,without additives; T2 - silage with added commercial sugar; T3 - silage with added bacterial inoculant, composedof Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus acidilatici, amylase, cellulase and hemicellulase. Acompletely randomized experimental design was used, with three replications. The use of additives in maize silageresulted in higher investment costs when used sugar or inoculant compared to conventional silage. The experimentaldiets caused variations in daily weight gain, consumption of dry matter and carcass yield of the animals, so that the dietcontaining silage with added bacterial inoculant presented higher revenue compared to diets with conventional silagewithout additives or with added sugar. The maize silage containing bacterial inoculant presented the best economicresponse in the finishing of steers in confinement, and also allowed greater subcutaneous fat deposition in the carcassesof very young animals feedlot finished, compared to the diets containing silage with added sugar or conventionalwithout additives.

Keywords

• fermentation stimulator additives
• gross revenue
• net revenue.