The economic feasibility of replacing corn grain with by-product from biscuit manufacture (BBM) as an energy source in the diet for purebred and crossbred native lambs raised in feedlot was evaluated. Four production systems were developed based on nutritional management and genetic groups: (PS1) purebred native lambs fed a conventional diet based on corn and soybean meal; (PS2) purebred native lambs fed a diet with BBM replacing 100% of the corn; (PS3) crossbred native lambs fed a conventional diet based on corn and soybean meal; and (PS4) crossbred native lambs fed a diet with BBM replacing 100% of the corn in the diet. The extrapolation was performed for a module of 24 Morada Nova (MN) breed lambs (12 MN red (MNR) and 12 ½MNR × ½MN white lambs)) with an initial body weight of 18.8 ± 0.875 and 15.0 ± 0.838 kg for MNR and crossbred, respectively. Feed, animal acquisition, and labor present the total production costs. The greatest profits were obtained in the production systems that fed the crossbred lambs with BBM. The lesser cost of BBM contributed to greater total factor productivity regardless of genetic group (1.095 vs. 1.015 for BBM and conventional feed, respectively). Systems using BBM (SP2 and SP4) showed an estimated payback of 5.44 and 3.24 years, respectively, while the use of conventional feed contributed to negative economic data (PS1 and PS3) with payback period greater than 10 years. The use of BBM as an energy source in the diet of crossbred sheep was economically feasible and showed better economic indices when compared to the systems using a conventional diet.
Keywords: Alternative feed; Production costs; Sheep production; Sustainability.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.