Economic losses due vaccine reactions in carcasses of Nellore cattle

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to quantify the vaccine reaction in carcasses of Nellore cattle of different ages and sex, raised in extensive system. It was evaluated 850 animals that were at a slaughterhouse in Sinop/MT. The detection and removal of the vaccine lesions were performed in line-I of the routine carcass inspection. The statistical test was conducted in a completely randomized design with treatments in 2x4 factorial arrangement (two sexes and four age groups). The weight analysis was performed by ANOVA followed by the test of Student-Newman-Keuls to compare means. The Fisher test showed an interaction between age and sex. In males there was no difference between age groups and among females, the group of over 5 years old was statistically lower than the other two groups. In the comparison between males and females there was significant difference only in animals of over 5 years old and the females had lower sample weight than the males. The average weight of the sections removed from the carcass was 1.28kg/animal, which represents an economic loss of $ 1.68/animal, being higher in females (1.30kg) than in males (1.24kg). The results showed a high incidence of vaccine lesion on the carcasses of all categories, which leads to reduction of carcass quality and value and indicates the importance of the improvement of vaccination management strategies to reduce economical losses to the producer.