This study evaluated the economic viability of industrial production of complete diets for equine species, using threesources of fiber (dehydrated whole corn plant, dehydrated elephant grass, or Tifton 85 hay) submitted to two typesof thermal processing (pelleting or extrusion). A survey and elaboration of costs from the agricultural production ofroughage to the commercialization of the final product was conducted. Three scenarios were compared: S1 – basalprice of complete diet (ingredients supplied together, but purchased separately); S2 – price of S1 plus 10%; S3 – priceof S1 plus 20%. Profitability indicators applied were internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). Simplepayback was used to verify return on investment time. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the items thatmost influence the economic results. Simple payback ranged from one to six years. The highest values of IRR (>100%per year) and NPV were obtained for the extruded diets in scenario 3. Only the pelletized diet containing Tifton 85 hayin scenario 1 was not economically feasible, presenting negative IRR. The inputs make up the item with the greatestburden on the production process (mean 89%). Except for pelletized diet containing Tifton 85 hay in scenario 1, theother projects present IRR above the minimum attractiveness rate (MAR) and were considered economically feasible.

Objective: To evaluate associations between economic and performance outcomes with the number of treatments after an initial diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in commercial feedlot cattle. Animals: 212,867 cattle arriving in a Midwestern feedlot between 2001 and 2006. Procedures: An economic model was created to estimate net returns. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine associations between the frequency of BRD treatments and other demographic variables with economic and performance outcomes. Results: Net returns decreased with increasing number of treatments for BRD. However, the magnitude depended on the season during which cattle arrived at the feedlot, with significantly higher returns for cattle arriving during fall and summer than for cattle arriving during winter and spring. For fall arrivals, there were higher mean net returns for cattle that were never treated ($39.41) than for cattle treated once ($29.49), twice ($16.56), or ≥ 3 times (−$33.00). For summer arrivals, there were higher least squares mean net returns for cattle that were never treated ($31.83) than for cattle treated once ($20.22), twice ($6.37), or ≥ 3 times ($−42.56). Carcass traits pertaining to weight and quality grade were deemed responsible for differences in net returns among cattle receiving different numbers of treatments after an initial diagnosis of BRD. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Differences in economic net returns and performance outcomes for feedlot cattle were determined on the basis of number of treatments after an initial diagnosis of BRD; the analysis accounted for the season of arrival, sex, and weight class.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was determined the efficiency of application of different levels of vitamins and trace elements in feeding of servicing bulls. In course of the study there was analyzed the influence of different levels of supply of servicing bulls with vitamins A, D, E and trace elements (copper; zinc; manganese; iron; cobalt; selenium) on their reproductive ability. On the basis of the experiment there was calculated the economic efficiency of application of the developed vitamin and mineral additive. Research results showed that application of the developed protein and mineral additive in diets of servicing bulls in winter and summer periods made it possible to increase the ejaculate volume on 7,4% and 12,4% (P less than 0,05), sperm activity on 6,7 % (P less than 0,05) and 7,3% (P less than 0,01), concentration of spermium in ejaculate on 6,3% and 7,8% (P less than 0,05). Also, it promoted the lowering of percentage of defective sperm doses.

There was presented a territorial analysis of epizootic situation on rabies in the administrative districts and regions of the Republic of Belarus in the period from 1986 up to 2008. The situation of strain was stated on the territory of Vitebsk (28, 4%) and Minsk (20,2%) regions. The most stable epizootic situation was stated in Shumilin, Braslavsk and Vitebsk districts of Vitebsk region, as well as in Vologin and Minsk districts of Minsk region. Only in 1990 and 1997 there were stated no cases of rabies in Brest and in 1996 in Mogilev regions. In other years no regions were free from this infection. Economic damage from rabies cases in agricultural animals in period 1986-2008 was over 2 milliard of Belarusian rubles.