Relationships between selected characteristics of Tennessee beef producers and their use of health management practices and the number and type of Extension contacts

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between selected farm characteristics, health management practices used, and the number and type of Extension contacts. Data were collected through personal interviews with 1,813 randomly selected beef producers in 85 Tennessee counties using the 1985 Beef Cow-Calf Interview Schedule. Producers interviewed had a minimum of 25 breeding age cows in their herd. The data were coded and processed for computer analysis and computations at the University of Tennessee Computing Center. The chi square test was used to determine the strength of relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Chi square values which achieved the .05 probability level were accepted as significant. Major findings included the following: 1. About half of the 1,813 producers surveyed had 40 or less breeding age cows. 2. Over half of the producers were full-time operators and had beef as a major source of farm income. 3. Extension contacts made by producers ranged from a high of 74 percent receiving farm visits to a low of 58 percent attending Extension beef meetings. 4. Three of the 11 recommended health management practices were used by over 80 percent of the producers. These practices were: (1) calves vaccinated for blackleg, (2) cows dewormed, and (3) controlled flies. 5. Three health management practices were not used by over half of the producers. These were vaccinating cows for IBR, BVD, and PI3, vaccinating calves for IBR, BVD, and PI3, and vaccinating replacement heifers for brucellosis. 6. Large producers (41 and over breeding age cows) made significantly more Extension contacts than the smaller producers (40 or less breeding age cows). 7. Large operators (41 and over breeding age cows) were more likely to use the 11 recommended health management practices than the small operators (40 or less breeding age cows). 8. Producers who made one or more contacts to Extension were more likely than those who did not make any contacts to use the 11 recommended health management practices.