Análogo da substância apaziguadora bovina (ASAB), utilizado em bovinos na entrada do confinamento sob desempenho zootécnico: estudo de caso

Intensive finishing has been a growing alternative in Brazilian livestock farming, especially due to market demands for productivity and meat quality. Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze the use of a product similar to the bovine appeasing substance (SAB) at the beginning of the confinement of beef cattle as a strategy to reduce management stress, evaluating its impact on zootechnical performance. For this purpose, data from a commercial confinement were used, where 672 male Nellore/Ringel blood grade cattle, with an average live weight of 383.1 kg (±43.87), were randomly distributed into one of two treatments: (1) saline solution (0.9% NaCl; n = 391) and (2) SAB (Ouro Fino Saúde Animal®; n = 281). A dose of 10 ml was applied topically; 5 ml to the skin of the nape (back of the head) and 5 ml to the skin above the snout. The treatment was applied upon arrival of the batches at the feedlot, with three alternating entries for each group. All animals were weighed on an electronic scale at the beginning and end of the feedlot and housed in open-air pens. The following were evaluated: final live weight (LW, kg), carcass weight (BW, @), daily weight gain (DWG, kg), dry matter intake (DMI, kg), feed conversion (FW, kg DM/kg WG) and biological efficiency (BE, kgDM/@). The use of SAB did not influence the final LW and BW. However, animals in the control treatment had higher DWG (1.655 kg/d), lower FW (6.8 kg DM/kg BW) and, consequently, better BE (152 kgDM/@) compared to animals that received SAB at the beginning of the feedlot (1.453 kg DM/d, 8.2 kg DM/kg BW and 166 kg DM/@, respectively). It is concluded that the use of SAB at the beginning of confinement to reduce the stress of initial handling does not influence the zootechnical performance of animals during the confinement period.