Perception of consultants, feedlot owners, and packers regarding the optimal economic slaughter endpoint in feedlots: A national survey in Brazil (Part I)

• Autor(a) principal: de Andrade, Thiago Sérgio
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Albertini, Tiago Zanett, Barioni, Luís Gustavo, de Medeiros, Sérgio Raposo, Millen, Danilo Domingues [UNESP], Dos Santos, Antônio Carlos Ramos, Goulart, Rodrigo Silva, Lanna, Dante Pazzanese Duarte
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2019-0219; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/208194
• topic: Beef; Carcass; Cattle; Feedlot; Management

Little information exists regarding the optimal economic slaughter endpoint (OSE) for feedlot-finished cattle in Brazil. This study investigated the perceptions of Brazilian feeders regarding the optimal time for slaughter. A total of 52 interviews were conducted involving nutritionist-consultants (n = 23), feedlot owners (n = 21), and packer-owned feedlots (n = 8). The results showed that 65% of the interviewees used weight and fat cover, both estimated visually, to determine the moment for slaughter. Identifying the ideal time for slaughter was considered a challenge for respondents, and 85% of them recognized that their current slaughter endpoint identification method needed improvements. Regarding decision support systems, 58% of respondents reported they would purchase a computer program to help identify OSE, and 73% would be interested in incorporating a prototype of such a system into their feedlots. Carcass dressing (38%) and price (25%) were the main factors driving the feeder’s choice of meatpacker, followed by carcass premiums (10%). Meat quality was found to be an irrelevant criterion for Brazilian meatpackers in awarding both premiums (5%) and deductions (3%). Slaughter endpoint is determined subjectively by the Brazilian feeders, based on a visual evaluation of both weight and fatness.