Identificação eletrônica como ferramenta de redução do tempo de manejo em bovinos de corte

Abstract

Brazil has the largest commercial cattle herd in the world, with the Nelore breed (Bos taurus indicus) raised mostly in extensive systems. Efficient handling of these animals is essential to increase productivity and ensure animal welfare. In this context, electronic identification (EI) emerges as a technological alternative capable of optimizing handling routines, reducing errors, and minimizing the time spent on processes such as weighing. This study aimed to evaluate whether the use of electronic identification reduces handling time in the corral for beef cattle. The experiment was conducted at the Capim Branco Experimental Farm of the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), using a completely randomized design (CRD), with 22 purebred Nelore cattle divided into two groups of 11 animals each. Two treatments were used: electronic identification (EI) with FDX ear tags from Allflex®, and hot iron branding (HB). Weighing time was recorded weekly over 11 weeks and statistically analyzed using R software (version 4.4.2), with the variable evaluated for assumptions of normality and homogeneity. Normality was not achieved, even after data transformation using the Box-Cox technique; therefore, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used to compare treatments and means, considering a significance level of 5%. Handling time was reduced by 32.31% with the use of EI, with an average time of 7.4318 minutes, compared to the HB method, which showed an average time of 10.9790 minutes. It is concluded that electronic identification is an effective tool for reducing handling time, optimizing labor, minimizing the risk of accidents, and improving animal welfare.