Economic evaluation and productive performance of lambs finished with concentrate and corn stover

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of two concentrates and corn stover on the productive performance and economic impact of finished hair sheep lambs.
 Design/methodology/approach: Twenty hair lambs (Dorper × Katahdin) with initial live weight of 33.3 ± 2.9 kg, were grouped into ten blocks where each block had two lambs of similar live weight that were randomly assigned to two treatments: T1) commercial concentrate + corn stover and T2) experimental concentrate + corn stover, in proportion 80 - 20%. Total weight gain (GPT), daily weight gain (GDP), dry matter intake (DMI), feed conversion (FC), feeding costs, gross value of GPT, gross profit margin and economic efficiency (EE). An analysis of variance was performed under a completely randomized block design. The means were compared with the Tukey test at α = 0.05.
 Results: There were no differences in GPT, GDP, CA and CMS (P>0.05). The T1 has higher costs (US$41.91) per ton of feed. The production costs of diets and feeding costs were lower for T2, and it also showed the best economic efficiency (EE = 26.6 %).
 Limitations on study/implications: The advantage of using agro-industrial and agricultural by-products such as corn stover in integral diets for finishing sheep is their availability throughout the year.
 Findings/conclusions: The finishing of lambs is profitable when the producer formulates and elaborates his own diet, reducing production costs for feeding without affecting the productive variables.