ABSTRACT
Data of 69 dairy sheep farms (70% Assaf and 30% Awassi crossbred), located in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Castilla y León and grouped for receiving technical advice, were used to study their structure and performance. Farm surface was 55.4ha, on average. Approximately 25% of the farms did not have cultivation land, and the other 75% had, on average, 73ha (from which 67% were devoted to forage). Farms used 2.1 annual work units (familiar, 90%), 493 ewes, and yielded 147,000 L/yr of milk. Farmers were tenant (84%), younger than 45 yr (70%), had new houses, and were grouped in cooperatives (83%). Sheep were fed indoors (occasional grazing only) in modern loose stalls and had machine milking. Planned mating (summer to fall) was done in 91% of farms (hormonal treatment, 54%) but artificial insemination was scarce (23%). Annual milk sales averaged 309 L/ewe (fat, 6.5%; protein, 5.3%; log(10) somatic cell count, 5.7), and milk was sent to local dairy industries for cheese production, and 1.35 lambs/ewe were harvested as milk-fed lambs (lechazo). Artificial lamb rearing was done in 38% of farms (automatic, 81%; manual, 19%). Total mixed rations were used in 33% of farms, and the rest used rationed concentrate (including self-produced cereals) according to physiological stage of the ewes (0.45 to 1.97 kg/d) and ad libitum forage (dehydrated, 70%; hay, 68%; fresh, 25%; silage, 12%). The concentrate-to-forage ratio ranged between 32 and 61%. In total, 68% of farms bought more than half of the forage, and 87% of them bought more than half of the required concentrates. According to structural, productive, and managerial traits, 4 types of farms were differentiated by using multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. Type groups were: 1) large-surface farms, devoted to cereal and forage production, predominantly with Awassi crossbreed sheep and a high level of self-consumed commodities (12% of the farms); 2) large flocks with intermediate farm surfaces devoted to forage production and predominantly with Assaf sheep (30% of the farms); 3) high-yielding farms, with intermediate sized flocks of Assaf sheep and very intensive management (42% of the farms); and, 4) no-land farms predominantly with Assaf sheep (16% of the farms). In conclusion, the dairy sheep farms studied showed more adoption of intensive production systems than traditional farms, which resulted in higher milk and lamb yields. Despite all of them being based on familiar units, as traditional farms, they were highly dependent on external resources and became more vulnerable, faced with future uncertainties of the market.
Subject(s)
Animal Husbandry/methods , Dairying/methods , Sheep/physiology , Animals , Female , Lactation/physiology , Milk/metabolism , Reproduction/physiology , Spain , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido verificar mediante análisis ergonómico, si el puesto de trabajo de un cajero con deficiencia física y grave compromiso de la función motora de miembros inferiores estaba adaptado a sus características. Se elaboró un protocolo de análisis ergonómico personalizado, con observación y mediciones del proceso, ambiente de trabajo y entrevistas semiestructuradas. El estudio del caso se realizó en una empresa de transportes del sector minorista de Joao Pessoa, del estado de Paraíba en Brasil, constatándose que el puesto de trabajo reseñado, no estaba adecuado a las características del trabajador objeto de estudio. Los mayores problemas se encontraron en la accesibilidad dentro del lugar de trabajo, mobiliario del puesto y disposición de los equipamientos, que se encontraron inadecuados, favoreciendo posturas y movimientos de riesgo, que contribuyen a agravar la deficiencia física existente y la aparición de nuevas incapacidades
The aim of the present study was to verify, through ergonomic analysis of the work, if the job occupied by a working teller with serious commitment of the motor function in the lower limbs, was ergonomically adapted to the special characteristics of the same one. An ergonomic protocol of analysis of the work adapted to the study for this person was elaborated, it consited in direct and sistematical observation of the process and the atmosphere of work; the study of the case was made in one of the ships of a great company of transport of the retail sector in Brazil. Being stated that the analyzed job was not suitable to the particular characteristics of the working object of the study. The greater problems were in the accessibility within the own place of work, in the furniture and the disposition of the equipment, that were inadequate, favoring positions of risks
