PSXI-21 A survey of management practices implemented on Kentucky beef cattle operations: Guiding program development and quality improvement.

Abstract The objective of this survey was to establish current adoption rates of common management practices on beef cattle operations throughout Kentucky to assist in development of effective extension education programs. These programs aim to increase knowledge, awareness, and adoption of management practices among beef cattle producers. This survey was distributed through email listservs and social media, yielding responses from 700 Kentucky producers representing 96 of 120 counties. It included questions to identify basic characteristics of each operation such as type, herd size, and farming status (full-time vs. part-time), followed by a series of questions regarding use of specific management practices (n = 73). These practices were grouped into six categories: business planning, general management, nutrition, forages, breeding and genetics, and animal health. To assist in development of targeted educational programming, adoption rates were analyzed by production system, herd size, farming status, and producer age. Respondents could select multiple types of operations including commercial cow-calf (60.8%), seedstock (11.8%), stocker/backgrounder (13.4%), and finishing (13.8%). Among stocker/backgrounder operations, 49% reported having more than 50 growing calves, while 61% of finishing operations fed fewer than 10 head per year. Part-time producers made up the majority (60.6%) of respondents. Adoption rates were analyzed using chi-square tests to evaluate associations between management practice adoption and operation characteristics. For commercial cow-calf producers, herd size, and farming status had the greatest influence on adoption of individual practices. Herd size significantly impacted (P £ 0.05) adoption of 33 practices and tended to impact (P £ 0.10) an additional 7 practices, with larger herds (³ 101 cows) more likely to adopt recommended management practices compared to medium (50-100 cows) and small (£ 49 cows). Full-time producers were significantly (P £ 0.05) more likely to adopt 25 additional management practices and tended (P £ 0.10) to adopt 10 more compared to part-time producers. Producer age (£ 39, 40-59, ³ 60) impacted adoption of 12 practices (P £ 0.05) and tended (P £0.10) to impact adoption of 5 additional practices, with younger producers more likely to utilize written farm goals, routinely monitor and record body condition scores, and deworm and vaccinate calves for respiratory diseases. Older producers were more likely to have an estate plan or will, use certified varieties of seed, and seed legumes into pastures, and tend to store hay indoors. Survey results were used to develop extension programs focused on increasing knowledge, awareness, and adoption of specific management practices that had low overall adoption rates, including hay testing (34.9%), implant use (21.5%), and pregnancy diagnosis (52.8%), regardless of farming status, herd size, and producer age. These efforts aim to improve productivity, profitability, and sustainability of Kentucky beef cattle operations.