Information sources for beef cow/calf producers / National Animal Health Monitoring System

4 Pages·1994·0.22 MB·English

by  National Animal Health Monitoring System (U.S.)

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

Reserve
aSF610
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United States
.154
Department of
Information Sources for
1994 Agriculture
Animal and Beef Cow/Calf Producers
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National Animal Health Monitoring System
Veterinary
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Services
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Figure 1 Figure 2
C'ATJUctr.
Sources of Animal Health Information The Veterinarian as an Extremely Important Source
of Information by Herd Size
Information Type
Importance
lAnlmal Health E‘ Beef Production § Nutritional
HH Extreme
1=1 Very
Percent ot Producers*
Y//A Moderate
□ Not
1-19 20-49 50-99 100-299 300 +
Herd Size (Number of Cows)
"Rated by producers es “Extremely* Important v». “Very.* “Marginally* or “Not*
Cow/calf producers consider veterinarians their information (Figure 2). This trend was also true,
most important off-farm source of information on for Cooperative Extension Service/
animal health, beef production, and nutrition, university personnel and publications; beef and
according to a recent study by the USDA’s agricultural journals, family, and other producers.
National Animal Health Monitoring System
(NAHMS). Seven hundred and ninety-nine (799) Regional results in Figure 3 show that producers
randomly selected cow/calf producers were asked in the central U.S. put more importance on
about information sources as part of the NAHMS veterinarians as an animal health information
Beef Cow/Calf Health and Productivity Audit source than producers in other areas.
(CHAPA). The 18 states involved in this part of
CHAPA data collection represented 70 percent of Figure 3
the U.S. beef cow/calf operation.
The Veterinarian as an Extremely Important Source
of Information by Region
Veterinarians were determined to be the most
important source of animal health information in
the swine and dairy industries in previous NAHMS
studies. This was also found to be true for the
cow/calf industry where 42.7 percent of producers
classified practitioners as "extremely" important
sources of animal health information (Figure 1).
The next most popular source identified as extreme¬
ly important was family members (14 percent).
Producers with herd sizes of 100 to 299 placed
more importance on the veterinarian as a source of
March 1994
Target population: beef cow/calf producers with 5 or more beef cows
and with 50 percent or more of 1992 calves born from January through June.
022444979
Figure 4 shows producers’ top four sources Figure 4
of beef production information were
Sources of Beef Production Information
veterinarians (26.8 percent), family (12.5
percent), Cooperative Extension
Service/university (6.6 percent), and beef or Extension Service
agricultural magazines (6.6 percent). The Veterinarian
larger the herd, the more importance was
Magazine/Journal
placed on nearly all sources of beef
Producer Organlz.
production information with the exception of
Retail Salesperson
retail salespeople. The only significant
geographical variation was with the number Family Member
of western region producers who placed Private Consultant
higher importance on beef and agricultural Other Producers
magazines ^ 12.8 Dercent identified them as an
Media
to the
east 0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent of Operations
vere Figure 5
source Sources of Nutritional Information
For
5t (23.6
◄ were Private Nutritionist Importance
Hi Extreme
Feed Salesperson
wn Very
Extension Agent Y//A Moderate
[ZD Not
Veterinarian
Friend/Neighbor
s 5, 10.6
te they Producer Magazine
a
St tionist
Personal Knowledge/
nited 1 rger Education
U
\99
Percent of Operations
Other CHAPA information is available on the
In summary, veterinarians were viewed as following topics: Branding, Injection sites, Facilities,
valuable sources of beef production and nutrition Calf health, and Reproductive efficiency. For more
information in addition to their traditional role as information, contact:
animal health professionals.
Centers for Epidemiology & Animal Health
USDA:APHIS:VS, Attn. NAHMS
NAHMS collaborators included the National
555 South Howes, Suite 200
Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA), State and
Fort Collins, Colorado 80521
Federal Veterinary Medical Officers, and the National [phone]
Veterinary Services Laboratories (USDA:APHIS:VS). Internet: [email protected]
N137.0194