SILVEIRA, J. C. A.; SILVEIRA, José Coriolano Andrade da.
Resumo:
Use of alternative feeders, social relationships and performance of confined crossbred ewes. The sheep bred in the Brazilian semiarid region is a good alternative
employment and income, as the production of high value organic food (meat and offal)
and excellent quality of skin, plus the adaptability of animals to local ecosystems.
However, poor distribution of rainfall in the semiarid region of northeast brings the
seasonality in forage production, causing vulnerability to animal production systems
based on the months of drought. In this sense, there are several dietary strategies that
could contribute to regional production systems, promoting reduction in slaughter age,
weight increase of animals slaughtered, with positive impacts on the size and weight of
carcasses, especially in off-season periods (time dry). Thus, supplemental feeding
through confinement in drought periods emerges as one of the measures used to reduce
the negative effects of drought throughout the year in the Brazilian semiarid region. In
the case of a confinement for sheep, some basic and essential aspects must be followed
for location, logistics management and physical structure. The setting on the stocking
rate must meet the animals' needs, providing enough space for group members can
develop a homogeneous way. Competition for resources such as space, shade and food
are situations that should be avoided in a confinement system, because depending on the
intensity, affect the performance of the whole lot. Limited resources in an area can
create a competitive environment and increase levels of aggression in animals, resulting
in a condition of constant social stress Therefore, it is important to understand how such
environment changes, routine and social status can affect the individual performance of
these animals in conditions low environmental complexity, such as a feedlot facility.
Thus, from this review aimed to address the main features of sheep production system
in the Brazilian semi-arid and verify the effects of more intensive systems on the social
dynamics of sheep.