Revista de Producción Animal (Jun 2017)

Fattening Commercial Zebu with Grazing and Low Supplementation on Small Farms.

  • Guillermo E. Guevara Viera ,
  • Lino M. Curbelo Rodríguez ,
  • Raúl V. Guevara Viera ,
  • Carlos S. Torres Inga ,
  • María Jo Díaz ,
  • Carlos U. Íñiguez García ,
  • Ángel J. Aguirre de Juana

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 1
pp. 1 – 4

Abstract

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The aim of this paper was to describe and group grazing commercial Zebu bulls, with low supplementation. Forty-four beef-producing farms from several cooperatives of credits and services were studied. Their members are private farmers from Sibanicu, Camaguey, Cuba. The farms were visited for three years, and official records were made of each farmer for these variables: resources, animals, management, production, and economy. The main statigraph for the variables were calculated. The average initial weight, final weight, weight gain, and production per ha were, 202.6; 371.6; 501; and 326.2 kg, during 339.7 fattening days, respectively. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient higher than 0.66, and a significant Bartlett sphericity coefficient (P < 0.01), with self-values above 1. The two groups were made using a BIETAPIC cluster analysis.

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