Beef cattle industry stakeholder understanding of structural soundness: Opportunities for education

Lay Summary Mastery of structural soundness in beef cattle is essential to the well-being and profitability of livestock. Using an expert-developed online survey, this study explored how people in the beef cattle industry understand and value structural soundness, thus identifying the need for further education on the topic. From August 2024 to January 2025, participants were recruited to complete an instrument that tested knowledge of structural correctness while also polling cattle stakeholders’ opinions on this topic. Data collection resulted in 466 responses across 36 states. Participants were men and women of all ages, experience levels, and sectors of the industry. The average knowledge test score (understanding) was 69.65%. Gender, experience, and affiliation with seedstock production were important indicators of structural correctness knowledge. Structural soundness ranked as the most highly valued trait for nearly 68% of respondents, and over 84% reported culling animals based on poor structure. Genetics, failing to cull, and industry pressures were cited as the most common causes of soundness related issues. Importantly, 84.55% of respondents agreed that more education on this topic is needed. These results show that while cattle producers value sound structure, additional educational resources could improve knowledge and support better management decisions.