Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1981

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Animal Husbandry

Major Professor

Charles S. Hobbs

Committee Members

H. J. Smith, R. J. Cooper

Abstract

The demonstrational feeder calf sales in Tennessee have established themselves as an important part of the livestock enterprise in the state. Farm income from feeder calves sold in the fall demonstrational sales has risen from 222,596 dollars in 1954 to over 1,650,000 dollars in 1960. During the seven year period, the number of calves sold has increased from 2,998 head in the fall of 1954 to 15,435 head in the fall of 1960. The importance of the feeder calf business in Tennessee has been influenced largely by the tremendous growth of the cow-calf business. The number of beef cows has increased 767 per cent in the last 20 years from 56,757 head in 1940 to 492,000 head in 1960.

Since the beginning of the sales, no organized statistical analysis has been made of the effects of physical and economic variables on the prices of feeder calves. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of the following selected variables on the prices of feeder calves sold in Tennessee in the fall sales:

1. Sex.

2. Year.

3. Breed.

4. Grade.

5. Weight.

6. Size of sale lot.

It is hoped that conclusions drawn from this study will be helpful to breeders and feeders in planning their respective beef production programs, and that this study will contribute some ideas which will be useful in improving existing sales and in establishing new feeder calf sales in Tennessee.

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