Fibrocement roofing tiles and cooling system: influence on performance of crossbreed and Holstein veals

Author(s)

Roma Júnior, Luiz Carlos

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo. [2004]. 83 f., ilustrações.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos
• Defense date: 27 fev. 2004

Examining board members

Savastano Júnior, Holmer; Leme, Paulo Roberto; Pinheiro, Maria da Graça

• Advisor: Savastano Júnior, Holmer
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering
• Indexed in: Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP-DEDALUS; Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações - USP
• Location: Universidade de São Paulo. Biblioteca da Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos; FZEA/T.640

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of asbestos free fibercement tiles and cooling system for Holsteins and Crossbreeding veals. The experiment was carried out from August 2002 until March 2003. Sixteen crossbreeding Gyr x Holsteins veals, with undefined blood levels and eleven Holsteins, veals were used in the work, all of them approximately three-months old. The animals were studied in buildings with three different types of roofing: (i) asbestos corrugated sheet; (ii) fiber-cement tiles and (iii) fiber-cement tiles associated with cooling system. Height gain, heart girth gain, weight gain, dry matter intake and feed:gain ratio were measured in every 14 days. The physiological data such as skin surface temperature, rectal temperature and respiratory rate were measured twice a day during 23 days. Blood parameters, carcass quality and quantity data were also collected from each animal. Climatic data of each housing condition were recorded for the calculation of the comfort indexes. The physical analysis of the environment throughout comfort index showed that the effect of the roofing type was significant and the best environment was the one with fiber-cement tiles. The presence or absence of the cooling system affected the air temperature and the black globe temperature. The best results were the ones associated with the cooling system. The cooled housing was the best environment for the physiological parameters of the animals, and it was connected with the lowest values for skin surface temperature, rectal temperature and respiration rate. Therefore, the animal performance did not show any difference in relation to the kind of housing. The difference in performance was significant between the two genetic groups, showing the potential of production of crossbreeding animals. These results can also be observed in the economical analysis. The production cost of the meat from crossbreeding veals was the same for all kinds of housing. In the case of housing with fiber-cement tiles, the meat from crossbreeding veals had a lower production cost than the meat from Holstein veals. (AU)