Uso de comedouros alternativos, relações sociais e desempenho de ovelhas mestiças confinadas.

Abstract

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.