Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1988

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Extension

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter Jr

Committee Members

Roy R. Lessly, Clyde D. Lane

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the personal and farm characteristics of Tennessee beef cattle producers, their management practices and their contacts with Extension as they relate to their cattle handling facilities available and the year they were constructed. Data were obtained through personal interviews with 1,813 beef cattle producers located in 85 counties in Tennessee. The 1985 Beef Cow- Calf Survey was used to collect data from producers who had a minimum of 25 cows of breeding age in their herd. Data were processed for computer analysis. Computation were made by the University of Tennessee computing center. The chi square statistical test was used to determine the strength or weakness of relationships 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. Over half of the producers surveyed were over 50 years of age, had beef cattle as their major source of income, were full-time farmers and had 41 or more breeding age cows.

2. Extension contacts made by producers ranged from a high of 74 percent receiving farm visits to a low of 57 percent attending beef meetings.

3. Of the management practices surveyed, a higher percentage of the beef producers were vaccinating for leptospirosis, blackleg, implanting calves, deworming cows, treating cattle for lice, and marketing feeder calves at weekly auctions. A lower percentage were not pregnancy checking, vaccinating for brucellosis and IBR, BVD, and PI3 and breeding by artificial insemination.

4. A higher percent of the beef producers had all five types of cattle handling facilities and were constructed from 1976 to 1985.

5. The younger producers (under 50), those who had row crops as their major source of farm income, those who were full-time farmers and those who had larger herds (over 40 cows) and received one or more Extension contacts were more likely than others to have more types of cattle handling facilities available.

6. Producers who used all 11 management practices were more likely than others to have more types of cattle handling facilities available.

7. Producers who were younger (under 50), those with beef cattle as their major source of income, and those who were part-time farmers were more likely than others to have constructed their beef cattle facilities between 1976 and 1985. The year cattle handling facilities were constructed was not significantly related to farm operation characteristics. Producers who received one or more Extension contacts were more likely than others to have constructed facilities between 1976 and 1985.

8. Producers who pregnancy checked, vaccinated cows and/or heifers for leptospirosis, blackleg, and brucellosis, vaccinated cows for IBR, BVD and PI3, implanted calves and dewormed cows were more likely than others to have constructed cattle handling facilities between 1976 and 1985.

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