Masters Theses

Date of Award

3-1985

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural and Extension Education

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter

Committee Members

Robert S. Dotson, F. David Kirkpatrick

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between selected cow-calf producer characteristics, such as producers' major source of income and age of producers, and selected farm characteristics, such as major agricultural enterprise, use of performance tested bulls, number of breeding cows in herd, and percent of cows weaning calves and the recommended practices used. A total of 1047 beef cattle producers located in 58 counties in Tennessee provided survey data in 1977. Tennessee County Extension Agents conducted personal interviews with the producers. Data from that survey were used in this study. Beef cattle producers were randomly selected by Extension Agents from county beef cattle mailing lists using the "nth" number technique. According to the guidelines of the survey, producers interviewed must have had a minimum of 15 cows of breeding age in their herd. The survey provided general information about the producer and his farm as well as information about the recommended beef cattle production practices that producers used.

The data were coded and punched on computer cards, and computations were made by The University of Tennessee Computing Center. Chi square and a one-way analysis of variance F test were used to determine the strength of relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Chi square and F values which achieved the .05 probability level were accepted as significant.

Major findings included the following:

1. Eighty-eight percent of the producers interviewed had beef as their major livestock enterprise and 55 percent had the farm as their major source of income, but only three recommended beef production practices were used by more than 75 percent of the producers.

2. Producers whose major agricultural enterprise was livestock, as compared with those whose enterprise was not livestock: (a) had a shorter breeding season; (b) were not as likely to have checked cows for pregnancy; (c) checked cows less frequently but checked heifers more frequently during the calving season; (d) castrated calves at a younger age; (e) were more likely to have vaccinated for blackleg and malignant edema; (f) more likely to use orchardgrass as their major grass species; and (g) were less likely to use crop residues than were "other" producers.

3. Producers whose major source of income was farm, as compared with those whose income was nonfarm: (a) checked cows and heifers more frequently during the calving season; (b) were less likely to have hay as their major winter forage but were more likely to have corn silage; (c) were more likely to use crop residues and protein with low quality roughage and give needy cows and heifers extra feed.

4. Producers who used performance tested bulls as compared with those who did not: (a) had more herds enrolled in T.B.C.I.P.; (b) used ear tags more often as an identification system; (c) had adequate working facilities, (d) used a shorter breeding season; (e) checked herd more frequently during the breeding season; (f) pregnancy checked cows following the breeding season; (g) checked cows and heifers more often during the calving season; (h) castrated and dehorned at a younger age; (i) vaccinated more often for blackleg and malignant edema; (j) used growth stimulants more often; (k) were less likely to use hay as their major winter forage but were more likely to use corn and grass silage; (1) fed minerals free choice more often; (m) were more likely to use protein with low quality roughage and give needy cows and heifers extra feed; (n) used magnesium oxide more often; (o) were more likely to use a fly control program and grub and lice control; (p) vaccinated more often for leptospirosis; and (q) were likely to worm more frequently.

5. Producers who owned their farm as compared to those who did not, who were full-time fanners as compared to those who were part-time farmers, and those who gave farm as their major source of income were older.

Producers who gave livestock as their major source of income were older.

Producers who enrolled their herds in the T.B.C.I.P., pregnancy checked cows following the breeding season, used growth stimulants, used a fly control program, used a grub and lice control program, and vaccinated for leptospirosis as compared to those who did not use these practices were younger.

6. Producers who were full-time farmers and who gave farm as their major source of income had larger cow herds as compared to those who were part-time farmers and gave "other" as their major source of income.

Producers who gave livestock as their major agricultural enterprise and those who had beef on their farms for 20 years or less had significantly smaller cow herds as compared to those who gave "other" as their major agricultural enterprise and had beef on their farms for more than 20 years.

Producers who used performance tested bulls, used bulls meeting the minimum requirements of the Performance Tested Bull Sale, had their herds enrolled in the T.B.C.I.P., used an identification system, pregnancy checked cows following the breeding season, checked their cows more often during the calving season, vaccinated for blackleg and malignant edema, used growth stimulants, used crop residues, fed mineral mixture free choice, fed magnesium oxide, used grub and lice control, and vaccinated for leptospirosis had larger cow herds as compared to those who did not use these practices.

7. Producers who were full-time farmers and those who gave farm as their major source of income had a significantly higher percent of cows weaning calves as compared to those who were parttime farmers and who gave nonfarm as their major source of income.

Producers who gave livestock as their major agricultural enterprise, those who had beef on their farms for more than 20 years, and those who gave beef as their major livestock enterprise had a significantly higher percent of cows weaning calves as compared to those who gave "other" as their major agricultural enterprise, those who had beef on their farms for less than 20 years, and those who gave "other" as their major livestock enterprise.

Producers who used performance tested bulls, used bulls meeting the minimum requirements of the Performance Tested Bull Sale, had a shorter breeding season, checked their cows more often during the breeding season, checked their cows and heifers more often during the calving season, vaccinated for blackleg and malignant edema, and used grub and lice control had a significantly higher percent of cows weaning calves as compared to those who did not use these practices.

8. Producers who gave "other" as their tenure status used a significantly higher percent of the 11 selected recommended practices as compared to those who gave farm as their tenure status.

Producers who gave livestock as their major agricultural enterprise, those who had beef on their farms for less than 20 years, those who gave beef as their major agricultural enterprise, and those who used two or more bulls used a significantly higher percent of the 11 selected recommended practices as compared to those who gave "other" as their major agricultural enterprise, those who had beef on their farms for more than 20 years, those who gave "other" as their major livestock enterprise, and those who used only one bull.

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