Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1990

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agriculture and Extension Education

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter Jr

Committee Members

Roy R. Lessly, Clyde D. Lane

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify clientele for emphasis in future Extension programs in order to bring about improvements in the quality and number of beef cattle handling facilities on farms in Tennessee. To accomplish this, there was a need to determine relation ships between the availability of each component of the beef cattle handling facilities and selected Tennessee beef producer and farm characteristics and beef producers' contacts with Extension. Extension agents conducted personal interviews with 1313 beef cattle producers from 73 of the 95 Tennessee counties. The data from that survey were used to compile this study. A stratified random sample of beef producers was selected from current county beef cattle mailing lists using the “nth” number technique. According to the guidelines of the survey, county Extension agents were to: (a) select 10 producers who since the beginning of the CATCH FOUR program (Jan. 1, 1985) had either constructed or remodeled one or more components for handling cattle. If 10 producers were not available. Extension agents surveyed all producers who did something to their cattle handling facilities since January 1, 1985; and, (b) also select 15 other producers who had not constructed or repaired any component of their cattle handling facilities since the beginning of the CATCH FOUR program (Jan. 1, 1985). These producers may or may not have had cattle handling facilities.

The survey provided general information about the producer and their farms as well as information about the availability of beef cattle handling facilities and the number and types of contacts that producers had with Extension over the previous 12 months.

The data were processed for computer analysis. Computations were made by The University of Tennessee Computing Center. The Chi square test was used to determine the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The .05 probability level was the point at which a relationship between variables was considered significant.

Major findings included the following:

1. Almost 40 percent of the beef producers were full-time farmers, almost 46 percent were part-time farmers and just over 14 percent were retired farmers. The mean operator age was 51.9 years. Just over 52 percent of the beef producers were high school graduates, slightly more than 33 percent had some college or technical school while almost 15 percent did not graduate from high school. Regarding the size of operation, just over 48 percent of the beef producers bred 25 to 35 cows and heifers, almost 23 percent bred 36 to 50 head and almost 29 percent bred 51 head or more. The mean number of cows and heifers bred was 50.9 head. The mean number of weaned calves raised was 45.5 and the mean weight of weaned calves sold was 482.2 pounds. Almost 83 percent of the beef producers surveyed had a headgate, 69 percent had a holding chute, almost 63 percent had a working chute, slightly more than 51 percent had a crowding pen and almost 65 percent had a holding pen.

2. Full-time farmers were more likely to have constructed or repaired each component of the beef cattle handling facility during the CATCH FOUR program than either part-time or retired farmers.

3. Younger beef producers (21 to 45 years old) were more likely to have constructed or repaired a headgate, holding chute, working chute, crowding pen and holding pen component of the beef cattle handling facility during the CATCH FOUR program than older beef producers (46 years or older).

4. Beef producers with some college or technical school education were more likely to have constructed or repaired each component of the beef cattle handling facility during the CATCH FOUR program than beef producers with less education.

5. Larger beef producers (bred 51 head or more) were more likely to have constructed or repaired a headgate, holding chute, working chute, crowding pen and holding pen during the CATCH FOUR program than smaller beef producers (bred 50 head or less).

6. Beef producers with 9 to 13 Extension contacts were more likely to have constructed or repaired each component of the beef cattle handling facility during the CATCH FOUR program than beef producers who had 8 Extension contacts or less.

Implications and recommendations are also included in this study.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS