Effects of varying levels of Cynara scolymus powder on growth performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal microbiota, immune and haemato-biochemical parameters in female quails.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying levels of dietary Cynara scolymus (CS) powder on growth performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal microbiota, immune and haemato-biochemical parameters in female quails. A total of 120-day-old female quails used for the research were divided into 3 treatment groups: 0% CS, 0.75% CS and 1.50% CS having 4 replicates (n = 10). Blood samples collected were analyzed for differential leukocyte count, red blood cell count and its indices, uric acid, lipid profile, liver enzymes, calcium, phosphorous, creatinine, thyroid hormone, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and antibody titres. Quails were euthanized for evaluation of carcass and microbial bacteria and sensory characteristics of the breast and thigh meat. Supplementation of CS at 0.75% and 1.50% increased (P < 0.05) wing, drumstick, ileum, jejunum and spleen lengths, high-density lipoprotein, and decreased (P < 0.05) low-density lipoprotein: high-density lipoprotein ratio. Diets supplemented with 0.75% CS increased (P < 0.05) albumin while 1.50% decreased (P < 0.05) abdominal fat and increased (P < 0.05) corpuscular volume, red blood cell count, lactobacillus population, and color of thigh meat. Both CS levels (0.75% and 1.50%) may improve intestinal morphology, quality of meat, immunity, erythropoiesis, intestinal microbial population, and decrease bad cholesterol in quails.

Effect of Dietary Guanidinoacetic Acid Levels on the Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Production and the Rumen Fermentation Profile of Alfalfa-Based Diets.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different percentages of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay (AH) and doses of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) in the diet on the mitigation of greenhouse gas production, the in vitro rumen fermentation profile and methane (CH4) conversion efficiency. AH percentages were defined for the diets of beef and dairy cattle, as well as under grazing conditions (10 (AH10), 25 (AH25) and 100% (AH100)), while the GAA doses were 0 (control), 0.0005, 0.0010, 0.0015, 0.0020, 0.0025 and 0.0030 g g-1 DM diet. With an increased dose of GAA, the total gas production (GP) and methane (CH4) increased (p = 0.0439) in the AH10 diet, while in AH25 diet, no effect was observed (p = 0.1311), and in AH100, GP and CH4 levels decreased (p = 0.0113). In addition, the increase in GAA decreased (p = 0.0042) the proportion of CH4 in the AH25 diet, with no influence (p = 0.1050) on CH4 in the AH10 and AH100 diet groups. Carbon monoxide production decreased (p = 0.0227) in the AH100 diet with most GAA doses, and the other diets did not show an effect (p = 0.0617) on carbon monoxide, while the production of hydrogen sulfide decreased (p = 0.0441) in the AH10 and AH100 diets with the addition of GAA, with no effect observed in association with the AH25 diet (p = 0.3162). The pH level increased (p < 0.0001) and dry matter degradation (DMD) decreased (p < 0.0001) when AH was increased from 10 to 25%, while 25 to 100% AH contents had the opposite effect. In addition, with an increased GAA dose, only the pH in the AH100 diet increased (p = 0.0142 and p = 0.0023) the DMD in the AH10 diet group. Similarly, GAA influenced (p = 0.0002) SCFA, ME and CH4 conversion efficiency but only in the AH10 diet group. In this diet group, it was observed that with an increased dose of GAA, SCFA and ME increased (p = 0.0002), while CH4 per unit of OM decreased (p = 0.0002) only with doses of 0.0010, 0.0015 and 0.0020 g, with no effect on CH4 per unit of SCFA and ME (p = 0.1790 and p = 0.1343). In conclusion, the positive effects of GAA depend on the percentage of AH, and diets with 25 and 100% AH showed very little improvement with the addition of GAA, while the diet with 10% AH presented the best results.

Marine Microalgae as a Nutritive Tool to Mitigate Ruminal Greenhouse Gas Production: In Vitro Fermentation Characteristics of Fresh and Ensiled Maize (Zea mays L.) Forage.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of marine microalgae (Dunaliella salina) as a food additive on biogas (BG), methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production kinetics, as well as in in vitro rumen fermentation and the CH4 conversion efficiency of different genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) and states of forage. The treatments were characterized by the forage of five maize genotypes (Amarillo, Montesa, Olotillo, Tampiqueño, and Tuxpeño), two states of forage (fresh and ensiled), and the addition of 3% (on DM basis) of microalgae (with and without). The parameters (b = asymptotic production, c = production rate, and Lag = delay phase before gas production) of the production of BG, CH4, CO, and H2S showed an effect (p < 0.05) of the genotype, the state of the forage, the addition of the microalgae, or some of its interactions, except for the time in the CO delay phase (p > 0.05). Moreover, the addition of microalgae decreased (p < 0.05) the production of BG, CH4, and H2S in most of the genotypes and stages of the forage, but the production of CO increased (p < 0.05). In the case of fermentation characteristics, the microalgae increased (p < 0.05) the pH, DMD, SCFA, and ME in most genotypes and forage states. With the addition of the microalgae, the fresh forage from Olotillo obtained the highest pH (p < 0.05), and the ensiled from Amarillo, the highest (p < 0.05) DMD, SCFA, and ME. However, the ensiled forage produced more (p < 0.05) CH4 per unit of SFCA, ME, and OM, and the microalgae increased it (p < 0.05) even more, and the fresh forage from Amarillo presented the highest (p < 0.05) quantity of CH4 per unit of product. In conclusion, the D. salina microalga showed a potential to reduce the production of BG, CH4, and H2S in maize forage, but its effect depended on the chemical composition of the genotype and the state of the forage. Despite the above, the energy value of the forage (fresh and ensiled) improved, the DMD increased, and in some cases, SCFA and ME also increased, all without compromising CH4 conversion efficiency.

Moringa oleifera as a Natural Alternative for the Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Equines: A Review.

Studies have shown a wide variety of parasites that infect horses, causing major gastrointestinal damage that can lead to death, and although the main method of control has been synthetic anthelmintics, there are parasites that have developed resistance to these drugs. For generations, plants have been used throughout the world as a cure or treatment for countless diseases and their symptoms, as is the case of Moringa oleifera, a plant native to the western region. In all its organs, mainly in leaves, M. oleifera presents a diversity of bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, saponins, and vitamins, which provide antioxidant power to the plant. The compounds with the greatest antiparasitic activity are tannins and saponins, and they affect both the larvae and the oocytes of various equine gastrointestinal parasites. Therefore, M. oleifera is a promising source for the natural control of gastrointestinal parasites in horses.

Substitution of raw lucerne with raw citrus lemon by-product in silage: In vitro apparent digestibility and gas production.

Fruit pomace addition to lucerne silage could rapidly reduce silage pH creating an acidic environment and thus maybe preventing spoilage. However, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different rates of inclusion of citrus lemon by-products on lucerne. In this study, the following five different treatments were prepared: L0 (control) with 100% lucerne; L25 (75% lucerne with 25% lemon pomace); L50 (50% lucerne with 50% lemon pomace); L75 (25% lucerne with 75% lemon pomace); and L100 (100% lemon pomace). After ensiling, the chemical composition, nutritive value, stability, in vitro apparent digestibility, and gas production of silage were determined. The dry matter (DM) content was higher for lemon pomace substitution equal to or exceeded 50% (P < 0.01). Crude protein, on the contrary, decreased (P < 0.01) over the same percentage of substitution. The L100 and L75 treatments showed higher DM apparent disappearance rate and lower (P < 0.05) crude protein and neutral detergent fiber apparent degradation rate vs. L0. Lemon pomace could be used at high inclusion level in lucerne silage, allowing the preservation of this by-product all the year, improving some chemical silage characteristics, and reducing proteolytic processes that usually happen on lucerne silage. Moreover, the in vitro apparent digestibility and gas production results showed that a partial substitution of lucerne with lemon pomace is able to improve silage digestibility.

Silage Fermentation Quality, Anthocyanin Stability, and in vitro Rumen Fermentation Characteristic of Ferrous Sulfate Heptahydrate-Treated Black Cane (Saccharum sinensis R.).

Pretreatment of lignocellulose agricultural biomass with iron prior to ensiling is required to accelerate biomass breakdown during fermentation, which could result in functional microorganisms and chemicals that reduce nutrition loss, harmful substances, and improve animal performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing dilutions of ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FS) pretreatment at fresh matter concentrations of 0, 0.015, and 0.030% on the fermentation quality of black cane (BC) silage, anthocyanin stability, ruminal biogas, rumen fermentation profile, and microbial community. Pre-ensiled and silage materials were evaluated. High moisture, fiber, anthocyanin, and lignification of biomass, as well as undesirable ensiling microorganisms, were found in BC' pre-ensiled form. Increasing dilutions of FS incorporated into silages were observed to linearly decrease dry matter, anthocyanin, and nutritive value losses. The lignin values decreased linearly as the percentage of FS increased up to 0.030%. Given that the ruminants were fed pre-ensiled materials, BC silage treated with 0.030% FS dilution had comparable results to pre-ensiled BC in terms of increasing in vitro volatile fatty acid concentrations, maintaining total gas production, and reducing methane production, when compared to other FS-treated silages. In addition, BC silage treated with a 0.030% FS dilution inhibited methanogenic bacteria and regulated cellulolytic bacteria in rumen fluid. Overall, the anthocyanin content of BC remained constant throughout the rumen fermentation process after increasing dilutions of FS, indicating that BC is a viable ruminant feedstock and that pretreatment of BC with dilute FS-assisted ensiling at 0.030% could be used to generate ruminant diets.

Mitigation of ruminal methane production with enhancing the fermentation by supplementation of different tropical forage legumes.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of forage species adapted to the tropical region of Ecuador on gas production, enteric methane, digestion, and ruminal fermentation. The tree forage evaluated were C. arborea, E. fusca, B. forficata, E. poeppigiana, C. argentea, G. sepium, C. tora, and F. macrophylla. Ruminal fluid of four adult sheep fistulated with permanent cannulas in the rumen was used in the in vitro gas production technique. The in vitro gas production parameters were lower (P < 0.05) in the C. arborea (A = 41.68 mL gas/g DM, c = 0.044%/h and Lag = 1.654 h) and the average gas production rate for B. forficata was 1.017 mL/h (P < 0.05). C. arborea presented higher (P = 0.0001) effective degradation and real DM digestibility (40.461 g/kg and 82.51 mg/g, respectively). With respect to VFA, the highest (P < 0.05) proportion of acetic, propionic, and butyric was observed in C. arborea, G. sepium, and E. poeppigiana (72.52, 23.09, and 7.44 mol/100 mol, respectively) and the lowest (P = 0.0001) ratio: acetic/propionic was observed in G. sepium (2.92 mol/100 mol). The content of NH3-N (mg/L) showed no difference. The lowest (P = 0.0001) methane production was observed in C. arborea (1.23 mL CH4/g DM). The use of forage species of tropical climate rich in secondary metabolites in ruminant diets has the capacity to reduce the gas production and enteric methane; however, this is at the expense of the reduction of the fermentation of organic matter in the rumen.

Sustainable impact of pulp and leaves of Glycyrrhiza glabra to enhance ruminal biofermentability, protozoa population, and biogas production in sheep.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pulp and leaves of Glycyrrhiza glabra to reduce the ruminal biogas production in sheep. Five experimental diets of two levels of Glycyrrhiza glabra pulp (GGP) and Glycyrrhiza glabra leaves (GGL) at 150 and 300 g/kg dry matter (DM) were assessed for biogas production and fermentation parameters. Diets were control (diet without GGP or GGL), GGP15 (diet contains GGP at 150 g/kg DM), GGP30 (diet contains GGP at 300 g/kg DM), GGL15 (diet contains GGL at 150 g/kg DM), and GGL30 (diet contains GGL at 300 g/kg DM). Inclusion of 150 and 300 g/kg GGP and 300 g/kg GGL decreased (P < 0.0001) asymptotic biogas production (A), fermentation rate (µ), biogas production at 24 h of incubation (GP24), apparent degraded substrate (ADS), in vitro organic matter disappearance (OMD), and metabolizable energy (ME). Microbial protein biomass (MP) was improved (P = 0.003) by GGP15, GGL15, and GGL30 versus control. Total VFAs (P = 0.003), acetate (P = 0.009), and butyrate (P = 0.002), CH4 (mmol and mL/g OMD), CO2 (mmol and mL/g OMD) (P = 0.0003 and P = 0.0002, respectively), were decreased in GGP15, GGP30, and GGL30 diets versus control. Acetate to propionate ratio (Ac/Pr) was decreased (P = 0.038) in GGL30 diet compared to other diets. Replacing GGP and GGL with alfalfa reduced NH3-N concentration (P = 0.022), total protozoa (P < 0.0001), Isotricha spp. (P = 0.047), Dasytricha spp. (P = 0.067), subfamilies of Entodiniinae (P < 0.0001), and Diplodiniinae (P = 0.06). Results suggested that inclusion of dietary GGL at 150 g/kg dry matter positively modified some rumen parameters such as microbial protein production, protozoa population, and NH3-N concentration, which may be useful economically in ruminant animals and decreasing of environmental pollution.

Effects of pomegranate peel extract on ruminal and post-ruminal in vitro degradation of rumen inoculum of the dairy cow.

This experiment was carried out to study the effect of water extracted pomegranate peel extract (PE) on ruminal protein degradation and post-ruminal digestion in the dairy cow. PE was added at six levels of total phenolics (g/kg of the basal diet); 3.75 (PE1); 4.4 (PE2); 5.05 (PE3); 5.70 (PE4); and 6.35 (PE5). Rumen degradable crude protein (rdCP) decreased with PE addition (L < 0.0001), but total CP degradability (tdCP) was not affected. Compared to PE0, PE2, and PE3 diets showed higher (L = 0.054, Q = 0.029) digestibility of bypass CP (dBCP). Increasing levels of PE resulted in a decrease in proteolytic bacteria numbers (p < 0.0001). At PE4 and PE5 levels, total VFA and acetate concentrations linearly decreased compared to PE0. PE inclusion lowered the acetate:propionate ratio (L = 0.0001) and Ammonia-N production after 24 h (L = 0.0008) of incubation. The total number of protozoa, genera Dasytricha and Isotricha, and subfamilies Entodiniinae, Diplodiniinae, and Ophrioscolecinae decreased with increasing dietary PE concentration (p < 0.0001). The results suggest that all levels of PE addition reduce the protozoal population and Ammonia-N concentration. All PE levels slowed down protein degradation in the rumen but PE2 and PE3 showed the greatest effect.

Biosurfactant electrospun nanofibers exhibit minimal side effects on the structure and function of the liver tissue in male rat model.

Oil spills can result in significant damage to marine estuaries, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and shorelines. Electrospun nanofibers containing biosurfactant (ENFs) can be used to clean oil spills up and protect the environmental biology. Present work aimed to study the side-effects of prepared nanofibers on animal models. Screening of the prepared ECNFs on animals showed that three of them (PVA-5, PEO-1, and PEO-5) are safe to hepatic tissues and liver functions. Furthermore, oxidative stress did not change after using these nanofibers. The PVA-1 nanofibers, however, were found to cause major pathological changes in the liver tissue. In addition, PVA-1 nanofibers were proved to alter the total white blood count and the neutrophil percentages significantly in comparison to the control. In conclusion, PVA-5, PEO-1, and PEO-5 are safe to hepatic tissues and liver functions.

Effects of Moringa oleifera leaf extract on ruminal methane and carbon dioxide production and fermentation kinetics in a steer model.

Ruminal fermentation produces greenhouse gases involved in global warming. Therefore, the effect of nutrient combinations on methane, carbon dioxide, and biogas production as well as ruminal fermentation kinetics was evaluated in in vitro studies. In total mixed rations, dietary corn grain was partially replaced by two levels of soybean hulls (a highly reusable residue), and a Moringa oleifera extract (a natural extract) at three concentration levels was added. Higher levels of both soybean hulls and M. oleifera extract delayed the initiation of methane production and resulted in a lower methane and carbon dioxide production. Thus, total biogas production was also lower. Replacement of corn grain by soybean hulls tended to lower methane production rates and asymptotic carbon dioxide production, and a delay in biogas and methane formation was observed. Asymptotic biogas and carbon dioxide production, however, were increased. The presence of M. oleifera extract tended to delay methane formation and to decrease methane production rate as well as asymptotic methane production. Higher M. oleifera extract levels decreased asymptotic biogas production with the control and the highest soybean hull levels. In the presence of M. oleifera extract, asymptotic carbon dioxide production was shown to be quadratically increased with the control and lowest soybean hull levels, but quadratically decreased with the highest soybean hull level. With the exception of fermentation pH, the interaction of substrate type and M. oleifera extract level was shown to have an effect on all fermentation parameters. Most fermentation parameters were shown to be higher when replacing corn grain by soybean hulls, including fermentation pH. Thus, the conclusion could be drawn that corn grain replacement by soybean hulls (an agricultural residue) in the presence of M. oleifera extract (a sparing leaf product) could ameliorate greenhouse gas emissions and improve digestion.

Influence of phytase enzyme on ruminal biogas production and fermentative digestion towards reducing environmental contamination.

Environmental impact of livestock production has received a considerable public scrutiny because of the adverse effects of nutrient run-offs, primarily N and P, from agricultural land harboring intensive energy livestock operations. Hence, this study was designed to determine the efficacy of dietary phytase supplementation on fermentation of a sorghum grain-based total mixed ration (TMR) using a ruminal in vitro digestion approach. Phytase was supplemented at three doses: 0 (control), 540 (P540), and 720 (P720) g/t dry matter, equivalent to 0, 2.7 × 106, and 3.6 × 106 CFU/t DM, respectively. Compared to P720 and the control, gas production was higher for P540 after 12 h (P = 0.02) and 24 h (P = 0.03) of fermentation suggesting a higher microbial activity in response to phytase supplementation at lower phytase levels. Correspondingly, dry matter degradability was found to have improved in P540 and P720 compared to the control by 13 and 11% after 24 h of incubation (P = 0.05). For ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), a tendency towards lower values was only observed for P540 at 24 h of fermentation (P = 0.07), while minimal treatment effects were observed at other fermentation times. The concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) were higher (P < 0.05) after 48 h of fermentation for P540 and P720 compared to the control (P = 0.03) by 10% and 14%, respectively. Ruminal acetate tended towards higher values in the presence of phytase after 12 h of fermentation (P = 0.10), but towards lower values after 24 h of fermentation (P = 0.02), irrespective of the phytase dose applied. A trend towards lower ruminal propionate levels was observed in the presence of phytase after 6 h (P = 0.10) and 12 h (P = 0.06) of fermentation, while no effects were found at other fermentation times. In conclusion, phytase supplementation has the potential to improve metabolic energy activity of rumen microorganisms and the use of feed constituents. Thus, phytase supplementation could help to reduce environmental contamination in areas of ruminant production.

Environmental efficiency of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on methane production in dairy and beef cattle via a meta-analysis.

The objective of the present study is to examine the effect of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on reduction of methane (CH4) production in dairy and beef cattle using meta-analytic methods. After compilation of relevant scientific publications available from the literature between 1990 and 2016, and applying exclusion and inclusion criteria, meta-analyses of data from dairy and beef cattle were applied for the pooled dataset or for each animal category (dairy or beef). The results of meta-analysis of all three datasets (all cattle, dairy cattle, or beef cattle) suggested that effect size of yeast either on daily CH4 production or on CH4 production per dry matter intake (CH4/DMI) was not significant. The results of Q test and I2 statistic suggest that there is no heterogeneity between different studies on CH4 production and CH4/DMI. The results of meta-analysis suggest that use of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as feed additive does not offer significant results in terms of reduction of CH4 production in dairy and beef cattle. Further research on the effects of different doses of yeast, use of yeast products, different strains, and experimental designs is warranted to elucidate the effects of yeasts on methane production in the rumen.

Prevalence of bovine subclinical mastitis, its etiology and diagnosis of antibiotic resistance of dairy farms in four municipalities of a tropical region of Mexico.

A region-wide survey was conducted in the tropical area of Tierra Caliente, State of Guerrero, Mexico to estimate the prevalence of subclinical bovine mastitis (SCM), distribution of mastitis pathogens, and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of different mastitis pathogens in dairy farms. In total, 1036 quarter milk samples were obtained from 259 cows at 87 different dairy farms. Collected quarter milk samples were submitted for California Mastitis Test (CMT), bacteriological examination, and testing for antimicrobial susceptibility. Overall prevalence of SCM in the studied area was 20.5 %. Prevalence in the different regions was as follows: 28 % in Arcelia municipality, 21 % in Tlalchapa municipality, 19.4 % in Pungarabato municipality, and 14.3 % in Finch Cutzamala municipality. Of all positive isolates, 97.5 % were Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, of all positive isolates, 37.5 % were Proteus vulgaris, 25 % Salmonella spp., 12.5 % Enterobacter aerogenes, and 10 % Escherichia coli. Klebsiella pneumonia and E. coli were sensitive for netilmicin antimicrobial. However, E. coli was sensitive for pefloxacin and gentamicin with a sensitivity for pefloxacin for E. aerogenes, while Staphylococci were sensitive for gentamicin and dicloxacillin. It could be concluded that practices such as the implementation of mastitis control programs, improved milking hygiene together with an intramammary treatment with netilmicin, pefloxacin, and gentamicin antimicrobials should be considered for mastitis prevention in the study area of Tierra Caliente, in the tropical area of Guerrero, Mexico.

Diet inclusion of devil fish (Plecostomus spp.) silage and its impacts on ruminal fermentation and growth performance of growing lambs in hot regions of Mexico.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of devil fish (Plecostomus spp.-DF) silage in Criollo × Blackbelly lamb diets in hot region of Guerrero state of Mexico. Rumen fermentation including pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia-N (NH3-N) and productive variables including feed intake (FI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion were determined. Twenty lambs with 18 ± 1.2 kg body weight in a completely randomized design were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) of concentrate (based on soybean meal, whole oat hay, ground corn cob, vitamins-minerals supplement) with DF silage at 0 % (DF0), 9 % (DF9), 18 % (DF18), and 27 % (DF27) of the TMR for 75 days. The ruminal pH showed no difference (P > 0.05) between treatments: ranging between 6.21 and 6.36. Propionic acid molar proportions showed an irregular pattern between experimental groups, which only differed (P < 0.05) between DF9 and DF27, without differences between the other treatments. A greater molar proportion of butyric acid was noted (P < 0.05) in DF27 when compared to the other treatments. The ruminal concentration of NH3-N showed some insignificant differences (P > 0.05) among treatments. The daily FI was increased (P < 0.01) in DF27 (1.131 g) when compared with DF0, while DF9 and DF18 showed intermediate consumption with no differences (P > 0.05) among them. The ADG showed only difference (cubic effect, P = 0.02) between DF9 and DF18. The highest feed conversion was observed (cubic effect, P < 0.01) with DF18, with a value of 4.7 kg of feed to gain 1 kg of body weight. It could be concluded that the inclusion of up to 18 % of DF silage in the TMR of growing lamb diets, in hot regions of Mexico, may improve productive performance and ruminal fermentation kinetics, without any negative effects.

Marketing of meat sheep with intensive finishing in southern state of Mexico.

The objective of the present study was to quantify the marketing margins of cold sheep carcass and barbacoa meat in the southern state of Mexico. Data were obtained from the production chain links (production, industrialization, and marketing) where the marketing margins were calculated along with the benefit/cost (B/C) ratio. In the absolute marketing margin of the final consumer price per kilogram of carcass meat, the producer obtained US$2.7/kg (47 %) of the utilities, while the intermediaries obtained US$3.1/kg (53 %). Considering the final cooked product in barbacoa (typical dish), the margin was US$6.3/kg (29 %) for the producer and US$15.2/kg (71 %) for the intermediaries. The B/C ratio was 1.0, 1.1, 2, and 1.3 for the producer, stocker, butcher, and barbacoa seller, respectively. It is concluded that the best marketing channel for the producer was the producer-stocker-processor (butcher and barbacoa seller). The highest marketing margin was for the intermediaries followed by the producer. The order of importance of the B/C kilogram ratio of meat was for the butcher first, then barbacoa seller, and lastly stocker and producer.