Zootechnical and Economic Indicators of Nellore Cattle Confined During the Dry and Rainy Seasons

The objective was to evaluate the zootechnical and economic indicators of Nellore cattle finished in feedlot during the dry and rainy seasons. A total of 1765 Nellore animals were used, of which 925 animals, with an average body weight of 441.71, were confined for 114 days in the dry season and 840 animals, with an average body weight of 427.57 kg, were confined for 108 days in the rainy season. All animals received the same diet in the two studied seasons. A completely randomized design with two treatments (dry or rainy season), with seven replicates was used. Nellore animals only showed differences in dry matter intake as a percentage of live weight (2.15 and 2.21 for the dry and rainy seasons, respectively). A comparative economic analysis was conducted between the dry and rainy seasons. Although the total revenue per head was higher during the dry season, the production costs were not compensated, resulting in negative gross and net margins. The reverse was observed during the rainy season, where, despite lower production costs compared to the dry season, the total revenue was lower, which also rendered the system unfeasible for this period. Changes in the price per arroba (unit of weight) significantly impact the financial results of confinement, as the cost of the animal represents the largest fraction of production costs. Nellore cattle display similar productive performance during the dry and rainy seasons and could be confined all year round in an economically viable way.