Development of environmental and housing techniques using mathematical modeling and development of software for reducing losses in intensive animal production: Precision Animal Production

Abstract

Brazil has an economical loss of around 25 million dollars in animal protein production ( meat, milk and eggs ) for every week of high temperature incidence, around 35o.C. This situation occurs mainly in the agricultural frontiers areas where the major agricultural production are settling, in the Center-West of the country. In the Mercosul Brazil rises with a swine meat production of 1.290 million tons representing only 16% of the overall Brazilian meat production, when considering altogether poultry, bovine, swine and ovine. In the world 44% of meat consumption is of swine meat followed by 29% of bovine, 23% of poultry and 4% from others. The export of Brazilian meat products is challenged by some obstacles such as sanitary barriers other governmental or not, final product quality to meet the consumers demand, such as special carcass leaner cuts, product presentation, standardization and warranty and sanitary conditions of the herd. The microclimate in the surroundings of the intensive production of animals has a direct influence in its final productive and reproductive performance. The concepts of thermal comfort is strictly related to the question of the bioclimate and inadequate conditions will lead to reduction in performance. A less stressing climate within the housing leads to a better and economical feasible production levels. The producers traditionally relay in the old practical concepts in order to decide on the housing climatization leading to losses in the process. In another hand there are just few available published data related to practical decision making concepts, in terms of housing climatization, that enables the producers to rely on the new technologies. The design of animal housing able to provide an ideal thermal environment requires a large number of interacting variables that defines appropriately the construction materials, geometry, solar orientation, herd occupation as well as the thermal comfort the animal need in order to have an ideal performance. It is important to establish standards that permit compare the animal performance when herds are housed under different management techniques, which is a bard question. lt is important that the planning of animal housing contain the restriction regarding thermal comfort and its relation to productivity as well as the systematization of the process of designing (relationship of optimal dimensions/thermal comfort/cost/benefit). The objective of this project is to develop a technological package using computers programs as well as software's and hardware's, within the concepts of experts systems, to meet as the animals housing design needs, involving the construction materials, the aspects of thermal comfort and structural design as well as the management of the herd. (AU)