Masters Theses

Date of Award

6-1977

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Extension

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter, Jr.

Committee Members

Robert S. Dotson, James G. O'Neal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the Agricultural Extension Service upon the improvement of the quality of feeder pigs marketed by feeder pig producers in Haywood County, Tennessee. There was a need to determine the degree of acceptance and use of recommended swine management practices by feeder pig producers also, to determine the relationship between the number of contacts producers had with Extension and their general farm situation, management of farrowing facilities, use of recommended practices, and the number and grade of pigs sold. Data were obtained from twenty (20) feeder pig producers who had a minimum of five sows in production in 1975 and had sold pigs at the Brownsville Feeder Pig Sale for the previous five years (i.e., 1970 through 1974). The analysis of variance F test was used to determine the strength of relationships between the dependent (i.e., number of contacts producers had with Extension) and independent variables. It was concluded that the change in the grade of feeder pigs sold during the five year period by the 20 producers was in the direction of improvement. While the number of Grade 4 feeder pigs decreased from 515 (30 percent of all pigs sold by the 20 producers) in 1970 to 54 (3 percent) in 1974, the number of Grade 1 and 2 feeder pigs increased from 80 (5 percent) in 1970 to 1,045 (27 percent) during the same time period. The feeder pig producers' general farm situation did not significantly influence the number of contacts producers had with Extension except in the case of these producers who planned to increase the size of their feeder pig operation. Producers who were expanding their operation made significantly more contacts with Extension agents than did those producers who were not planning to expand their operation. The number of contacts feeder pig producers had with Extension agents did significantly influence the use of recommended practices regarding the management of their swine farrowing facilities. Producers who were using railings and crates to protect baby pigs from mashing and those who used fans to aid in air circulation in the farrowing house attended significantly more Extension meetings and more swine meetings than did those producers who were not using these practices. The number of contacts that producers had with Extension were significantly associated with their use of five of the 21 recommended swine management practices. In all cases those producers that were using the recommended practices had a larger number of Extension contacts than did those producers not using the practices, however the differences did not achieve the .05 level of significance in all cases. The number of contacts producers had with Extension tended to be significantly related to the number of pigs sold by the producers in each grade. Producers who sold a larger number of pigs tended to have a larger number of contacts with Extension than did the producers who had a smaller operation. The number of office visits and the number of farm visits were more highly related to size of operation than were other types of contacts producers had with Extension. Conclusions and recommendations were also made.

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