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Learning Through Beef Cattle Producer and Dairy Cattle Producer Field Days
| Name | Howard van Dijk | | Situation | The profitable raising of beef cattle and dairy cattle in South Carolina remains elusive due to an slow acceptance of the proper recommended management practices that are important in a successful and profitable enterprise. From my observation, as an Extension agent, it appears that many cattle producers cut corners in production practices that are essential to a profitable enterprise. Many beef cattle producers are part time cattle producers and do not devote the time or extra resources required for this enterprise or consider that the recommended practices are not needed for a part time enterprise. One example of a practice
that is not readily accepted is the concept of purchasing higher quality
breeding animals with improved genetic performance potential over what
they currently have in the herd. Generally the higher quality bulls also are higher priced. Other recommended practices that are not followed readily include castrating younger bulls, dehorning animals, using proper
preventative vaccination programs, and having calves trained to take feed and water from troughs prior to selling these calves to a cattle buyer. | | Response | Producer field days and demonstrations are one of the better means of educating beef cattle and dairy cattle producers. By conducting demonstrations, producers have the opportunity to see first hand what the recommended practice is, have the opportunity to ask questions, have hands-on practices available, and learn from one another when the more progressive farmers in a group relate that the practice is profitable and is worth doing. Field days and actual demonstrations are an extension of
the programs conducted at producer meetings and during one-on-one education contacts.
This year will be the third year that a "Beef & Dairy Cattle and Forage Production Field Day" will be conducted at the Wateree River Farms, in Sumter County. This past June, eighty producers from across the state, attended the field day and received hands-on education that was provided through field day demonstrations. Programs on forage management and weed
control were presented while walking in the fields of various newer recommended forages. Educational presentations were made while looking at the bulls used at Wateree Farms with discussions of the improvements that are possible through the use of bulls with greater genetic improvement potentials. Management of cattle through handling facilities was demonstrated while cattle were vaccinated with recommended vaccines and the newer electronic animal identification ear tags were placed in the ears of cattle. Individual animal identification is a logical step that has benefits for the individual cattle producer to the consumer, but is not readily accepted across the industry. | | Impact | Good learning took place at the field day last June. The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program was presented to fifty cattle producers from 4-5 counties and again provided direct visual learning through the models and demonstration boards provided with the BQA program. Learning takes place at different levels and producers seem to learn better through visual and hands-on learning than through lectures provided at producer meetings.
Certainly this is evident from the surveys provided at the field days and from personal reactions from these producers. Progress may be slow, but our educational efforts are improving the cattle that are being produced in South Carolina, and producer field days are a more effective way to provide this education to South Carolina cattle producers. |
Last update7/23/2008
This website is maintained by Patty Harris.
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