Breeding objectives of Brangus cattle in Brazil |
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| Authors: | Michele R. S. Simões Joal J. B. Leal Alessandro P. Minho Cláudia C. Gomes Michael D. MacNeil Rodrigo F. Costa Vinícius S. Junqueira Patrícia I. Schmidt Fernando F. Cardoso Arione A. Boligon Marcos J. Yokoo |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Postgraduate Program in Animal Husbandry – UFPEL, CAPES, Pelotas, Brazil;2. Embrapa South Livestock, Center of Livestock Research of South Brazilian Fields (CPPSul), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Bagé, Brazil;3. Embrapa Southeast Livestock (CPPSE), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, São Carlos, Brazil;4. Delta G, Miles City, Montana Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa;5. Postgraduate Program in Genetics and Improvement by the Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil;6. Animal Husbandry Department – UFPEL, Pelotas, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Our goal was to define a breeding objective for Brangus beef cattle in Brazil. Bioeconomic models were produced and used to estimate economic values (EVs). The scenarios simulated were typical full-cycle beef production systems that are used in tropical and subtropical regions. The breeding objective contained pregnancy rate (PR), warm carcass weight (WCW), mature cow weight (MCW), number of nematode eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) and tick count (TICK). Two models were used in series to estimate the EV. A deterministic model was used to simulate effects of PR, WCW and MCW on profitability with a constant parasite load. Subsequently, stochastic models were used to estimate economic values for TICK and EPG as consequences of their environmental effects on weight gains, mortality and health costs. The EV of PR, WCW, MCW, EPG and TICK, was US$1.59, US$2.11, −US$0.24, −US$5.35 and −US$20.88, respectively. Results indicate positive emphasis should be placed on PR (12.49%) and WCW (65.07%) with negative emphasis on MCW (13.92%), EPG (2.77%) and TICK (5.75%). In comparison with the indexes usually used, these results suggest a reformulation in the selection indexes of the beef production system in tropical and subtropical regions in order to obtain greater profitability. |
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| Keywords: | beef cattle bioeconomic model economic value production system selection criteria |
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