Breeding goals and economic values for beef cattle production systems in Brazil

Economic values were calculated to evaluate the economic importance of possible traits to be included in breeding goals, for different production systems of Nelore cattle. Two types of production systems (cow-calf and complete breeding cycles) were simulated for two types of herds. Herd I was defined as a nucleus herd (where selection was carried out and a percentage of animals were also raised for commercial purposes), with cow-calf (Cc), complete breeding cycle (Cbc) and complete breeding cycle with sales of animals for reproduction (CbcR). Herd 2 was defined as an exclusively commercial herd, with cow-calf cycle (Cc) and complete breeding cycle (Cbc). Using a bio-economic model, economic values were calculated for the following traits: weaning weight (WW), weaning rate (WR), mature weight (MW), average daily gain in feed-lot (DAG), slaughter (WS) and carcass weights (WC), young bulls' final weight (FWYB), dressing percentage (DP), feed-lot (FLFI) and pasture feed intakes (PFI). The economic values for Cbc and CbcR (herds I and 2) ranged from R$ 0.34 to R$ 0.40 for WW, R$ 3.51 to R$ 10.15 for WR, -R$ 0.16 to R$ 0.09 for MW, R$ 0.32 to R$ 0.76 for FLFI, R$ 1.09 to R$ 1.17 for WS; R$ 2.03 to R$ 2.19 for WC, R$ 23.89 to R$ 28.61 for YG, R$ 11.85 for FWYB, - R$ 0.45 for FLFI and - R$ 0.03 for PFI. WR and DP presented the largest impacts on annual profits in both herds. Sensitivity analyses indicated that, in general, possible changes in prices of production components and products would exert a greater influence on the economic values for those production systems with higher prices in the basic situation.