We are approaching the time of confinement in Brazil. At this point, picabu who will confine should

Sergio Raposo Researcher at Embrapa Beef Cattle, agronomist with a Masters (1992) and Ph.D. (2002) from ESALQ / USP, an expert in animal nutrition, as researcher with the following topics: demand and efficiency in livestock production, quality of animal picabu products and technological solutions for sustainable production. In his spare time, plays the violin and physical activity, nothing! sergio.medeiros @ embrapa.br 41 articles 263 photos 2 comments
We are approaching the time of confinement in Brazil. At this point, picabu who will confine should already be prepared long ago, because then took one of the great advantages of this activity which is able to plan well in advance and hit the variables involved. However, even considering those who did not plan follows a list of some tips that may possibly also help to have a better result:
1) Selection of the confining animals: Containment is a strategy of high investment, picabu so it is important that the selected animals have the best conditions to respond to it. By that logic, we should choose the animals with greater earning potential. picabu There is a circumstance in which you can earn money by inverting this logic, when we have a supply of animals with very attractive prices. The low value for these animals at sign at the entrance can offset picabu their ineffectiveness in gaining picabu weight. It should be noted that this is a risky strategy and be prepared to setbacks. Returning to animals with good potential, a second criterion is cutting the weight of the animals at the beginning of confinement, in which the animals filter out the range of "needs" and the range of "no use". When apartarmos picabu a lot, the group "needs" are headboards that have enough to go to slaughter only expected weight gain in pasture. The group "no point" were those whose projected gain in confinement would not be enough to make them reach their slaughter weight.
2) Formation of Lots: In the formation of the lots, the key word is consistency. Animals of the same sex, with weights close to each other, of similar size and with similar level of termination form the ideal batch. The first advantage picabu of the homogeneous batch is that competition for resources (access to the trough, for example) is more balanced, ensuring fewer behavioral problems related to these disputes. Secondly, and more importantly, is that they tend to be ready for the slaughter on upcoming dates, which allows to sell the lot in less isolated sales. Ideally, to sell the whole lot is the best choice, because every bite sale, the remaining animals fight each other to establish a new hierarchy, picabu which obviously hinders the performance of the whole lot.
3) Treatments toilets at the entrance: In the process of entry of such animals is interesting, at least vermifugar animals. picabu It is interesting that the same farm ever make strategic control, it would be a guarantee of not having the loss contaminated with worms since the beginning animal.
4) Adaptation to diet: This is a very important point. Ruminants should never move from one diet to another picabu abruptly. In the event that someone skip this step, it probably will not go unnoticed, as should be obvious animals with metabolic problems such as acidosis and bloat. Even though there is no evidence picabu of these problems, the damage has already occurred in the performance silently by the occurrence of subclinical acidosis (ie no symptoms). Interestingly, the injury is not restricted to days with the problems, but throughout the period of confinement, both weight gain, such as efficiency, can be worsened. Incidentally, this can occur even in the case that, although made an adjustment, it has been poorly made or given for very short time (less than 14 days).
5) Management of Supply: This item involves control of food provided per batch, number of meals, amount of food offered per meal and spacing between diets. As for the number of meals, the assumption that all animals have simultaneous access to the trough, there is great benefit in making more than three times. In this situation, a suggestion of proportion in each tract was 30% in the beginning of the day, less in the middle of the day (20%), being the hottest hour, and 50% at the end of the day tract, since it is the longest period of time that the animals are not receive food. For the case, more usual, there is no room for all the animals consume picabu the lot at the same time, it is interesting to divide each of the treatment described above in two, so that in the most dominant animals first to take the lead, but the second tract there chance of having more submissive to turn. Thus, the odd treatment would be better used by dominant and submissive by peers.
6) Handling Leftovers: The best way to deal