Progress 05/01/17 to 10/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience for the duration of this project has included current established cattle producers, beginning cattle producers, and potential future cattle producers in an effort to increase producer adoption of multiple calf health management practices. Project efforts supported hands-on "Boot Camps" for beginning and less experienced producers where educators and veterinarians demonstrated important basic health management practices and gave technical assistance to producers in learning how to implement these practices in their own operations. These efforts have a good reach into producers who have not typically utilized Extension programming and open the door for future interactions. Producer audiences were also reached through in-person presentations, cattleman's meetings, newsletters, media, and traditional programs such as Master Cattleman, Rancher's Thursday Lunch series, and Oklahoma Quality Beef Network. Research conducted through the project feeds back into these communication channels. Youth audiences involved in or interested in cattle production were reached through multiple avenues. Oklahoma 4-H youth participated in hands-on workshops at the state roundup. Youth in OSU's Unidos se Puede Summer Academy, composed of Latino and African-American youth, participated in "on the ranch" workshops in multiple summers. Over 300 OSU Beef Cattle Manuals were distributed to Oklahoma FFA agricultural education classrooms for curriculum materials. Oklahoma regional universities and junior colleges with Agricultural programs received OSU Beef Cattle Manuals as well. In addition to Oklahoma State University, at least one of these regional universities is now using the Manual as a textbook in 2 courses, while others are incorporating various chapters into their curriculum. An effort to reach those who may advise cattle producers was made as well, through in-service activities for new Extension educators and in continuing education programming for veterinary students. Changes/Problems:COVID and some personnel changes did create challenges, but we were able to pivot to continue to reach producer audiences with relevant information even during COVID shutdowns and to partner in providing hands-on opportunities afterward, as this is an emphasis of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided training and professional development opportunities to 8 graduate students over the project period through dissertation and thesis research projects, other special projects, and through support for research presentations at professional conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results are disseminated at two levels. At the academic level, results are communicated through journal articles that reach other scientists interested in the topic. However, our publications included three journals that are designed to reach farm managers, rural appraisers, ag lenders, animal science practitioners, and veterinarians. These are professional audiences who serve and advise cattle producers on a regular basis, so putting this information in their hands is invaluable. A total of 10 journal articles, 7 conference presentations, 1 journal article in review, 2 pending conference research presentations, and portions of 5 dissertations/theses are research outputs from this project. Our dissemination of results to producers happens primarily through extension programming targeted to cattle producers and cattle industry participants where research results regarding practice adoption, market value, and animal health are incorporated into the discussions. Some of that dissemination includes industry invitations to Extension personnel to present and discuss research findings at industry events. The nature of this project is a true intertwining of research and extension where the producers are the data points and are also the audience for dissemination with efforts to effect behavioral change. Extension workshops are promoted extensively through local media and through broader-reaching state and industry beef media when relevant. Producers who have participated in our Extension programming are often our best advocates, particularly for the hands-on workshops. State and local media as well as Beef industry journalists often disseminate program announcements and publish newsletter articles that they find interesting to their audience, broadening the reach of programming and results communication. Research results have been disseminated through extension in the following ways: (1) over 30 newsletter articles in various extension newsletters, (2) over 20 workshops that included both research information and hands-on components, (3) a 6-part webinar series on calf health management and marketing, (4) dissemination of 36 value-added sale reports through extension channels, (4) 12 in-services for Extension personnel, (5) 5 seminars for veterinary students and corresponding 5 seminars as continuing education for practicing veterinarians, (6) multiple videos on SunUp TV which remain available on the website, (7) multiple presentations to cattle producers on the production impact and market value of practice adoption, and (8) multiple articles picked up by industry media which are not always captured here. This is a good representation of results dissemination but is not an exhaustive list. The Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing Survey was advertised extensively across the state through a media push to state and local newspapers, industry magazines, extension personnel, and social media. This was a teachable moment in terms of raising awareness regarding the importance of these management practices, not only for the producers who actually received the survey but also for the producers who did not and for the general public. The hands-on workshops for Unidos se Puede youth and 4-H youth utilized various agricultural scientists to discuss the importance of these recommended management practices, but scientists also described other research that they are conducting. Youth were engaged in discussions about career possibilities with agricultural economists, animal scientists, range managers, animal nutritionists, and entomologists, including graduate students. The setting and hands-on nature of the workshops facilitated both formal and informal Q&A regarding future professions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
IMPACT The primary project impact is increased producer awareness of the economic value of research-based beef calf health management practices, with the goal of increasing producer implementation. Increased net returns can be significant as buyers are willing to pay premiums for calves more likely to stay healthy and perform well. Since most non-adopting producers cite constraints as a lack of technical knowledge and/or doubt of positive returns, the project increased producer knowledge and propensity to implement practices through hands-on learning of how to implement specific management practices and through the communication of research-based market values for individual and bundled calf health management practices. 1: Identify basic calf management practices with low adoption rates, but high returns relative to cost, using results from previous and ongoing surveys of Oklahoma beef management and marketing practices. Implant adoption is low, though implanted calves have increased returns estimated at $14-$28 per head. Castration rates increased slightly, but producers who do not castrate male calves forego premiums of $6-$12/cwt. Calfhood vaccinations are also relatively inexpensive and underutilized, while markets indicate that buyers place a higher value on vaccinated calves. 2: Develop appropriate science-based educational materials and programming regarding important economic, productivity, and animal health benefits of on-farm implementation, for selected basic, but immensely important, management practices. Consolidation of relevant educational materials into one easy-to-navigate multi-disciplinary beef webpage (beef.okstate.edu) improved resource availability with clear access points for educational resources. Educational how-to videos in collaboration with Beef Quality Assurance are available on OSU DASNR YouTube and SunUP TV's webpage and receive substantial views (vaccination video 5,000+; implant video 3,800+), increasing producer knowledge regarding implementation. The OSU Beef Cattle Manual, 8th Edition (2021), eds. D. Lalman and K.C. Raper, includes 4 chapters on calf health management and is now available in Spanish (2021), expanding program reach. The Manual use spans Master Cattleman courses, other extension programming, and individual and university courses, providing research-based information about management practices and increasing producer knowledge. Online videos for 23 Manual chapters improve access to information regarding best management practices. Accompanying presentation materials are available to County Extension Educators for program use. A budgeting tool facilitates analysis of returns to calf management practices for improved producer decision-making. A Vaccine Needle Selection Guide for cattle by size and viscosity available for chute-side use or for vaccine coolers provides a quick reference for appropriate vaccination needle protocol, improving producer vaccination implementation. In-services provided Extension educators with knowledge of resources, programming ideas, and educational materials. 3: Encourage higher rates of producer adoption in the short run through targeted program delivery, including hands-on technical workshops, social media, YouTube, industry liaisons, and through existing extension platforms such as BeefExtension.com, Master Cattleman, Oklahoma Quality Beef Network, Women in Agriculture, and eXtension; and in the long run through educational programming and materials targeted to future producers through 4-H and FFA curriculum, through agricultural programs at Oklahoma's regional universities and junior colleges, and promotion of educational opportunities to key agencies with a focus on veteran assistance, including Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Farm Service Agency. Ranch demonstrations reached Hispanic and Black youth (120). A 4-H workshop (40) provided hands-on implant and castration practice (model banding) and Q&A with young progressive ranchers. 320 OSU Beef Cattle Manuals were provided to high school agriculture education instructors for the beef management curriculum. Manuals were provided to agricultural faculty at 9 regional colleges. One has already adopted the Manual as the curriculum for two courses. Grant-related activities at Cow-Calf Boot Camps (100) and Cattlewomen's Boot Camp (50) gave new and less experienced producers hands-on experience with castration, vaccinations, and implants. Area Livestock Extension Specialists partnered to host 6 calf management workshops, reaching approximately 200 producers. Multiple workshops included make-and-take vaccine cooler projects with needle selection guides, as vaccine storage is critical in maintaining vaccine efficacy. The project and private sources provided coolers for these projects. The Ranchers' Thursday Lunchtime webinar series filled programming gaps when COVID-19 restrictions negated in-person programming. Eight webinars on calf health management are linked to the Beef extension team's website. Live participants across the 8 calf health-specific webinars averaged 57 participants per date with 171 additional views per webinar on YouTube since launch. Continuing education programming for practicing veterinarians and lecture modules in the Third Year OSU veterinary student classes increased knowledge about the impact of calf management practices on profitability and beef quality. 4: Measure progress in Oklahoma beef producer adoption of key production, management, and marketing practices through the development and implementation of a recurring assessment survey to assist in program evaluation and impact. Data analysis on the 2022 Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing Survey (OBMM) is beginning at the time of this report and will examine changes in producer behavior and attitudes with respect to calf health management as compared to previous surveys. It facilitates the continuation of important research related to project objectives beyond the project's end. 5: Contribute to the knowledge base regarding which producers are more likely to implement recommended practices, why producers choose not to implement recommended practices when market incentives indicate that it is profitable, how producer attitudes toward practice adoption are changing over time, and whether extension programming is an effective tool in changing behavior. Output includes 10 journal articles and 7 conference presentations in agricultural economics, animal science, and veterinary journals. One additional article and two presentation abstracts are currently in review. Research findings indicate that the smallest (<100 head) and the largest herds (>500 head) are least likely to adopt the most recommended calf health management practices. Higher cattle income as a % of household income increases the likelihood of adoption. Participation in extension education positively influences practice adoption. Non-adopting producers report significant adoption constraints as a lack of technical knowledge and doubting positive returns. Challenges reported by adopting producers for preconditioning were expense (59%) followed by availability of labor (22%) and facilities (13.5%). 32% of respondents indicated a 5% or less morbidity rate, and 13% of respondents experienced a 10% or less mortality rate. Follow-up research examines the connection between equipment or facility access and practice adoption. Partial budgeting examines payoff times for producer purchases of equipment used to facilitate the implementation of calf health management practices. The research examines joint probabilities of practice adoption and informs educational programming by highlighting which practices are often adopted simultaneously and where the biggest gains are in encouraging and enabling producers to adopt the next logical practice based on current behavior.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Buda, Mark Bin, Kellie Curry Raper, Derrell S. Peel and John Michael Riley. Structural Change in Feedlot Death Loss Rates. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Volume 10 -2023, Section: Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1087080
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Hallie M. Barnes, Kellie Curry Raper, and Rodney Jones. Break-Even Analysis of Equipment Purchases for Calf Health Management. In print at Journal of the Association of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. Oklahoma Quality Beef Network A Marketing Opportunity. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 55, June 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. Producer Reported Calf Vaccinations: Frequency and Timing. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 54, March 2022.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
*Lalman, D.L., C.E. Andresen, C.L. Goad, L. Kriese -Anderson, M.E. King, and K.G. Odde. 2019. Weaning weight trends in the U.S. beef cattle industry. J. Applied Anim. Sci. 35: 57 65, https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2018-01797
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
D. Lalman "Implant? It Depends." Progressive Farmer Magazine, with Becky Mills. February, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
T.P. Vining, K.C. Raper, D.S. Peel. J. Robe, B. Freking, D.L. Zook, M.G. New, P.A. Beck. An evaluation of Oklahoma beef calf market characteristic trends from 2011 to 2021. American Society of Animal Scientists, Southern Section Meeting. January 2023.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Harwell, Kristina Marie, Amy D. Hagerman, Kellie Curry Raper, and Hannah E. Shear. Factors Affecting Respiratory Vaccination of Beef Calves in Oklahoma . Paper selected for presentation at Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. February 5-7, 2023.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Marty New and Dana Zook. "Tips to Handle and Administer Vaccines." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 55, June 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Paul Beck. "Upgrade Your Cattle with Preconditioning." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 54, March 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Jeff Robe. "When is the Right Time to Castrate Bulls?" Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 5, March 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Earl Ward. "Rotating Deworming Products." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 52, September 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Rosslyn Biggs. "Dehorning: Updated Recommendations." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 51, June 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Britt Hicks. "When is the Best Time (Age) to Castrate Bull Calves?" Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 51, June 2021.
|
Progress 05/01/21 to 04/30/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Research efforts were communicated to academic audiences through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at professional meetings and to extension educators through in-services for dissemination in local beef programming. Extension efforts supported the reach of multiple groups, including cow-calf producers and veterinarians. A new more accessible website design for beef extension programs provides better reach of information to all audiences.The website includes easy access to videos from the Ranchers' Lunchtime series on recommended calf management practices and value-added calf marketing, as well as other beef production related videos. Most project programming targeted small and medium sized cow-calf operations through cattlemen's meetings, hands-on workshops, newsletters, and extension curriculum updates. Podcasts and other media were also used to point producers to educational programming regarding calf health management practices. Industry publications and value-added cattle sale summaries continue to reach cattle producers with direct feedback on the market value of specific calf management practices. Master Cattleman Quarterly reach approximately 750-800 small to medium-sized cattle producers across the state and regularly includes articles related to the project.The project is also providing young and beginning farmers, many of whom are veterans, with information about opportunities in beef extension programming. Veterinarians and future veterinarians were reached through project member participation in continuing education programming for practicing veterinarians and through guest lectures for current veterinary students. The Eighth Edition of the Beef Cattle Manual was published and, for the first time, has a Spanish version available, broadening the reach of this resource. United States Department of Agriculture Progress Report Accession No. 1012446 Project No. OKL03049 multiple summer workshops that we have held in the past years of the project Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided professional development and research training for 5 graduate students during this period. Two students presented project work at professional academic meetings during the period. Three others have project-related research manuscripts near publication submission.One M.Ag degree, one M.S. degree and one PhD degree were awarded during the reporting period. In addition, the project has provided multiple opportunities for learning or enhancing producer skills regarding implementation of specific calf management practices. Special emphasis has been placed on knowledge and skills related to castration, vaccinations and implants. The output and impacts of project work have also enhanced the ability to leverage funds for competitive graduate student scholarships from the college, in addition to providing groundwork that has led to other outside funding opportunties for work that is well integrated with the goals of the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of research activities are disseminated directly to the target audience through extension programming that reaches not only producers within the state but has reach outside of the state as well. During this project reporting period, research results regarding the value of individual calf management practices or bundles of calf management practices were incorporated by the project investigator into 12 producer newsletter articles, extension podcasts, multiple extension in-service presentations, industry media articles and extension presentations directly to producers. As primary point of sale data is collected at value-added calf sales, a summary of sale results and premiums sorted by presence of or lack of management practice bundles is generated and disseminated to participating producers, livestock auction managers, and extension personnel. Project results are also highlighted in the Oklahoma Beef Cattle Manual, which serves as the curriculum for the Master Cattleman certificate program. The newly published 8th edition is available in both English and Spanish, expanding the reach of project results. Results and publications are also disseminated to state and area extension specialists and to county extension educators to use in both state and local extension programming. Public media outlets and industry outlets were used to advertise project efforts, and in particular, the survey efforts. This raises the awareness of the public as to both the need for and benefits of the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Primary efforts will include: (1) distribute Beef Cattle Manuals and other related educational resources to Oklahoma FFA chapters and to regional college and universities with beef cattle programming; (2) begin summary of 2022 Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing survey; (3) continue support for and delivery of hands-on workshops to cattle producers to improve knowledge base and technical skills; (4) continue to increase awareness of programming by partnering with Young and Beginning Farmer workshops and other relevant avenues; and (4) submit project-related research articles for publication review.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project's intent is to increase cow-calf producer adoption of recommended management practices to help manage costs and generate more revenue per cow, increasing producers' economic returns. The approach is multi-faceted. Educational efforts targeted to cow-calf producers should (1) use research based information to illustrate specific management practice values to the producer, (2) understand implementation constraints that producers perceive and recommend or assist with possible remedies, and (3) provide hands-on technical education when applicable. As producers understand practice value and modify adoption decisions to include more of those practices prior to marketing calves, the broader public reaps multiple benefits. Calf buyers are willing to pay higher prices to producers for value-added calves because those calves tend to stay healthier and gain more efficiently as they move through the supply chain. This ultimately results in lower antibiotic use, more efficient use of grains, animal welfare improvement and, ultimately, higher quality beef product at retail, as those cattle tend to secure higher quality grades at slaughter. Project Accomplishments Objective 1: Identify basic calf management practices with low adoption rates, but high return relative to cost, using results from previous and ongoing surveys of Oklahoma beef management and marketing practices Previous surveys and ongoing data collection at livestock auctions reveal that fewer producers use implants to increase growth and efficiency in calves prior to marketing, though implanted unweaned calves gain 0.1 pounds per day over nonimplanted calves. Implants are a low-cost way to increase animal efficiency. Also, the proportion of male calves marketed as bulls is higher than desired, costing producers who choose not to castrate bulls up to $12 per hundredweight. Calfhood vaccinations are also relatively inexpensive and underutilized. Project programming utilizes this information for program development. Objective 2 Develop appropriate science-based educational materials and programming regarding important economic, productivity, and animal health benefits of on-farm implementation, for selected basic, but immensely important, management practices Existing education materials, including fact sheets, videos, and other resources, have been inventoried. Efforts continue to consolidate existing relevant practice adoption materials into one easy-to-access and easy-to-navigate webpage as a primary resource for beef producers and industry partners. The Beef Extension website and Master Cattleman websites have been significantly updated and will ultimately consolidate information and make access points for educational resources more clear. This will be done across disciplines, delivery modes, and personnel within the University system - both within and outside of the project. A new fact sheet was published with updated comprehensive information about efficiency gains from implants, hormone residue in beef relative to other food products, and a visual guide for implanting calves. Dissertation research examined the preferences of calf buyers regarding management practices known at time of purchase, as well as other cattle characteristics. This information will be incorporated into educational efforts to help producers understand buyer preferences and the importance of meeting those preferences. Objective 3 Encourage higher rates of producer adoption in the short run through targeted program delivery, including hands-on technical workshops, social media, YouTube, industry liaisons and through existing extension platforms such as BeefExtension.com, Master Cattleman, Oklahoma Quality Beef Network, Women in Agriculture, and eXtension; and in the long run through educational programming and materials targeted to future producers through 4-H and FFA curriculum, through agricultural programs at Oklahoma's regional universities and junior colleges, and promotion of educational opportunities to key agencies with focus on veteran assistance, including Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Farm Service Agency Multiple hands-on workshops targeted current cow-calf producers and emphasized best practices in calf health management, including implants, castration timing and methods, and calf vaccinations. Several workshops included make-and-take vaccine cooler projects, as vaccine storage is critical in maintaining vaccine efficacy. The project provided coolers or leveraged funds for coolers from private sources use and provided needle selection guides in the form of weatherproof cooler stickers and refrigerator magnets for these projects. Beef extension programming, including practice adoption education, was promoted at Young and Beginning Farmer meetings, which includes many veterans. As many producers look to their veterinarians for recommendations, the veterinary community was educated about the impact of calf management practices on profitability and beef quality, both through continuing education programming for practicing veterinarians and through lecture modules in Third Year veterinary student classes. Regarding youth education,arrangements have been made to distribute the Beef Cattle Manual, a resource book that contains 45 chapters on varous aspects of beef production to 150 agricultural education classrooms across the state in cooperation with the Oklahoma FFA during the next project period. Point of sale data collection for feeder calves continues and efforts were accelerated this year through a collaborative agreement with another agency. This data provides baseline information and facilitates continuing research in determining the economic value of specific value-enhancement activities by producers at the cow-calf level. For sales associated with value-added calf marketing programs, a near real-time AMS-style market report is disseminated to producers, participating livestock auctions and extension personnel for immediate educational feedback on the value of certain practices. Data is then also used in research analysis and in other extension programming. Objective 4: Measure progress in Oklahoma beef producer adoption of key production, management and marketing practices through development and implementation of a recurring assessment survey to assist in program evaluation and impact A comprehensive survey of beef producers' production, management and marketing practices was implemented and is currently in the data entry stage. Results of this survey will be compared to previous survey results to measure progress as well as to provide a benchmark for the recurring assessment survey which will be conducted at the end of this project. The 2022 Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing survey is the third iteration of this effort and puts the benchmarking effort on a 5 year interval. The survey was implemented in early 2022 and raw data from NASS should be available to begin analysis by mid-summer 2022. Objective 5: Contribute to the knowledge base regarding which producers are more likely to implement recommended practices, why producers choose not to implement recommended practices when market incentives indicate that it is profitable, how producer attitudes toward practice adoption are changing over time, and whether extension programming is an effective tool in changing behavior. A published peer reviewed journal article estimated probabilities of joint adoption of calf health management practice bundles, indicating which "next practice" is most likely to be adopted when a producer has already adopted a specific practice or bundle of practices. This is useful in targeting extension programming to facilitate education regarding those "next practices". A second journal article reports challenges faced in implementing calf healh management practices in preconditioning programs, as communicated by participants in a state-level preconditioning program.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
P.A. Beck, J. Robe, D.L. Lalman, D. Zook, M. New, B. Freking. 2021. Needs and challenges cattle producers face in adapting preconditioning programs. J. Anim. Sci. 99 (Suppl_2): 6. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab096.008.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Mulenga, Brian P., Kellie Curry Raper, and Derrell S. Peel. A Market Basket Analysis of Beef Calf Management Practice Adoption. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Vol. 46(2):214-227. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.304774. May 2021.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Panyi, Amado and Kellie Curry Raper. The Impact of Days Weaned on Feeder Calf Prices. Selected paper at Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 12-15, 2022.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Mengyu Yin, Essays on Horn Fly Control Economics in Stocker Cattle, Stocker Cattle Producer Purchasing Preferences, and Food Insecurity during COVID-19, PhD Dissertation, Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University. December 2021
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. Reducing the Risk Even One Practice at a Time. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 52, September 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. Not a Bull Market: Add Value to Calves with Castration. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 53, December 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper and Rosslyn Biggs. Upcoming Surveys for Oklahoma Cow-Calf Producers. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 53, December 2021
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. Upcoming Surveys for Oklahoma Cow-Calf Producers. Cow-Calf Corner The Newsletter, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, January 10, 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Jeff Robe and Kellie Curry Raper. 2021 Oklahoma Quality Beef Network Certified Preconditioned Calf Sales. Cow-Calf Corner The Newsletter, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, January 17, 2022
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Raper, Kellie Curry. Cow-Calf Corner: Upcoming surveys for Oklahoma cow-calf producers - Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (tscra.org). January 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Peel, Derrell S. Start Early to Market you Calves for Better Health and Added Value. Cattlemens News, Joplin Regional Stockyards, July 2021
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper and Paul Beck. Value-Added Marketing Opportunities. Chapter 10 in Beef Cattle Manual, Eighth Edition, eds. D. Lalman and K.C. Raper, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. E-913. 2021.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper and Paul Beck. Opportunidades de Comercializaci�n con Valor Agregado. Chapter 10 in Manual de Ganado Bovino para Carne, Octava Edici�n, eds. D. Lalman and K.C. Raper, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. E-913S. 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Implants and Their Use in Beef Cattle Production. Paul Beck, Ryan Reuter, and David Lalman. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet AFS-3290. August 2021.
|
Progress 05/01/20 to 04/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:As a project with a strong hands-on in-person component, the audience reach was impacted by a project year that fell completely within the COVID-19 pandemic (May-April). Even so, some target audiences were reached effectively during the project year. The Ranchers' Thursday Lunchtime Series of webinars successfully reached geographically diverse producers, both small and large, during a time when in-person contact was not possible. Webinars were offered live via Zoom with webinar videos and powerpoints (where applicable) posted on the beef.okstate.edu website for continuous access afterward. Producers have highly utilized and appreciated both methods of delivery. The inaugural series of 6 webinars focused directly on recommended calf management practices, implementation, and marketing. The series was well-attended and well-received by producers, leading to the development of a total of 43 webinars during the project year. Webinars focused on various aspects of cattle production during the project year. The inaugural series of 6 webinars focused solely on practice implementation and marketing plus 2 other webinars that specifically included calf management health practices are listed in the Other Products segment of the report. A diverse set of publications broadened audience reach. Academic publications and presentations reached both extension professionals and veterinarians who work with cattlemen and make recommendations. Industry publications and value-added cattle sale summaries reached cattle producers with direct feedback on the market value of specific calf management practices. Project articles included in Master Cattleman Quarterly reach approximately 750-800 small to medium-sized cattle producers across the state. The audience reachmost impacted by COVID-19 restrictions was the youth component, as we were unable to hold the multiple summer workshops that we have held in the past years of the project. Changes/Problems:The inability to conduct in-person hands-on workshops impacted both budgeted expenditures and success in achieving goals in that component of the project. We were able to pivot and design webinar series to reach producers during that time, but perhaps the biggest impact was our inability to conduct summer youth workshops as we have typically done. Moving the survey to January 2022 significantly impacts the timing of expenditures as that is a large budget item and that expenditure is delayed past its original budget timing. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training and professional development opportunities were provided to graduate students and to other extension professionals. A master's student further developed research skills, presentation skills, and professional skills under this project. She developed a research poster proposal for a professional academic meeting and worked with survey data to analyze, illustrate and present the impact of producer access to specific facilities and equipment on calf management practice adoption for specific practices. As someone interested in a career in agricultural finance, she then extended that research to include a benefit-cost analysis and payoff scenarios for purchasing specific equipment to facilitate the adoption of specific practices. The project also provided in-service training for extension professionals related to best practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Ranchers' Lunchtime webinar series was promoted through social media as well as through news outlets across the state, highlighting the importance of the effort for producers while also increasing the awareness of the general public about the existence and importance of such educational efforts. Publishing in the major publication of the state's cattleman's group reaches a broad audience of cattle producers, as do extension newsletters and fact sheets. The project has also successfully used existing extension platforms to broaden its reach. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Brief explanation of activities to be accomplished in the extension period:** Extending the grant period allows the producer survey to be moved to January 2022 to capture 2021 production data, thus establishing a 5-year interval for this recurring survey. January 2022 works well with NASS's typical survey schedule. COVID-19 disruptions to in-person educational workshops were significant. With ongoing uncertainty, extending the grant period allows us to ensure that our deliverables are created to be effective for both in-person and virtual extension programming, expanding program reach and providing quality educational programming options when in-person is not doable. When recommendations allow in-person workshops, those will still be planned and conducted. The inability to fully utilize funds previously budgeted for travel, workshop supply funds, and animal use fees because of in-person restrictions highlights the need to develop digital educational components alongside related curriculum pieces. This will enhance and complement ongoing efforts to create digital educational modules. This model has been successful previously and can move us toward success, regardless of current restrictions on delivery mode. It also fits well with ongoing efforts to catalog our existing resources and create curriculum that complements and builds on these.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project's primary impact is increased awareness and adoption of research-based beef calf management practices by ranchers. When recommended practices are implemented on the ranch and marketed at appropriate venues, calves stay healthier as they move through the beef supply chain. For the rancher, the increase in net returns per calf sold can be significant. For example, the net market value of castrating and selling male calves as steers rather than bulls ranges from $30-$60/head. The process of "preconditioning" calves on the ranch before selling them typically assumes castration and then also bundles together the practices of deworming, appropriately timed respiratory vaccinations, a minimum of 45 days weaned, and training calves to feed from bunks. Some producers are comfortable with the logistics of implementing these practices and marketing accordingly, but others, particularly new or small and mid-sized producers,are more likely to need technical education and more likely to doubt premiums that have been documented by research. Accomplishments related to specific project objectives are: Identify basic calf management practices with low adoption rates, but high return relative to cost, using results from previous and ongoing surveys of Oklahoma beef management and marketing practices; Castration and implants were previously identified as two key practices with relatively low cost relative to potential returns. Other practices are being examined as well. Develop appropriate science-based educational materials and programming regarding important economic, productivity, and animal health benefits of on-farm implementation, for selected basic, but immensely important, management practices Video clips were generated for implants and vaccinations during this reporting period and are currently being developed for use in educational efforts. Video clips for other important research based recommended management practices are upcoming. A partial budget tool for generating facilty/equipment payoff scenarios relevant to adoption of specific practices or practice bundles was created. Four chapters (Chapter 1, Chapter 10, Chapter 34, and Chapter 39) relevant to calf health management were published in the Eighth Edition (2021) of the Beef Cattle Manual, eds. D. Lalman and K.C. Raper. E-913. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (2021). Chapters cover practice adoption, value-added calf marketing, calving season selection and impact on marketing, and implant use. This resource is used in the Master Cattleman certification course and other extension programming builds on this information. It is also available for purchase by individuals. Encourage higher rates of producer adoption in the short run through targeted program delivery, including hands-on technical workshops, social media, YouTube, industry liaisons and through existing extension platforms such as BeefExtension.com, Master Cattleman, Oklahoma Quality Beef Network, Women in Agriculture, and eXtension; and in the long run through educational programming and materials targeted to future producers through 4-H and FFA curriculum, through agricultural programs at Oklahoma's regional universities and junior colleges, and promotion of educational opportunities to key agencies with focus on veteran assistance, including Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Farm Service Agency. The Ranchers' Thursday Lunchtime webinar series helped fill programming gaps when COVID-19 restrictions negated in-person programming. A total of 43 webinars on various aspects of cattle production were organized by the beef team, with approximately 8 webinars directly related to calf health management. The "kick off" series of 6 webinars in May was solely focused on calf health management and marketing. Webinars were promoted widely in the state through university and extension outlets as well as through news media. Webinar videos are posted on OSU Extension's YouTube channel and are promoted on the Beef extension team's website. YouTube views for individual videos from the series continue to increase. Total real-time participants across the 8 calf health webinars was 458, averaging approximately 57 participants per date. YouTube views of the 8 webinars is currently at 971 (4/30/2021), averaging 121 views per webinar. Sale summaries for 9 value-added calf sales were generated, as was an overall season sale summary. These summaries are distributed to producer clientele, livestock market owners and managers, and extension personnel. Summaries are posted on the OQBN webpage, linked through the Beef team's extension page, and are shared on social media outlets for public consumption. A season summary was written and shared in the Master Cattleman Quarterly, reaching 750-800 cattle producers. Sharing across multiple avenues increases awareness and generates interest from cattlemen/ranchers who have not participated in the program. Many have not previously implemented some of the practices, but are interested when they observe the premiums garnered by other producers. Measure progress in Oklahoma beef producer adoption of key production, management, and marketing practices through the development and implementation of a recurring assessment survey to assist in program evaluation and impact. The draft 2022 Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing Survey (OBMM) was developed and is currently at National Agricultural Statistics Service - OKC for review and OMB approval. The survey will be sent to producers in early 2022 to capture cow-calf producer behavior regarding calf health management practices, calf marketing decisions, and other facets of production that impact these decisions. It will provide data that can be compared to results from the two previous OBMM surveys to examine changes in producer behavior and attitudes with respect to calf health management. Contribute to the knowledge base regarding which producers are more likely to implement recommended practices, why producers choose not to implement recommended practices when market incentives indicate that it is profitable, how producer attitudes toward practice adoption are changing over time, and whether extension programming is an effective tool in changing behavior. A peer-reviewed journal article, co-authored with a former Ph.D. student, analyzes joint probabilities of adopting a specific practice given current adoption of another practice or bundle of practices. This "market basket approach" is employed in retail marketing venues (e.g. Amazon and others) to determine the relationship between items purchased. For our purposes, it informs educational programming in that it highlights which practices are often adopted simultaneously and where the biggest gains are in encouraging and enabling producers to adopt the next logical practice based on current behavior. Continuing data collection at value-added calf sales builds our time-series database that will facilitate continuing research on the market value of calf health practices, individually and collectively. A research conference poster examined the relationship between producer access to specific facilities or equipment and the adoption of specific calf management practices. This research has been extended to examine benefit-cost relationships as well, though not yet published. A research effort is examining the behavior and preferences of beef stocker buyers with respect to feeder calf attributes, including calf health management practices.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Courtney Bir and Kellie Curry Raper. "Good Records and Benchmarking - An Opportunity", Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 47, June 2020.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. "Preconditioning in a Pandemic?" Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 47, June 2020.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
A Look at the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network in 2020." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 50, March 2021.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Derrell Peel, Kellie Curry Raper and David Lalman. "Beef Industry Overview for Oklahoma." Chapter 1 in Beef Cattle Manual, Eighth Edition, eds. D. Lalman and K.C. Raper, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. E-913. 2021.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper and Paul Beck." Value-Added Marketing Opportunities." Chapter 10 in Beef Cattle Manual, Eighth Edition, eds. D. Lalman and K.C. Raper, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. E-913. 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Jeff Robe and Kellie Curry raper. "OQBN Vac-45 Performance Consistent in 2019." Cowman Magazine - A publication of the Oklahoma Cattleman's Association. May 2020
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. "Cow-Calf Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA)" Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Fact Sheet AGEC-222, August 2020.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
B.P. Mulenga, K.C. Raper, and D.S. Peel. "A Market Basket Analysis of Beef Calf management Practice Adoption." Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Preprint published online. Forthcoming May 2021
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
H.M. Barnes and K.C. Raper, "Cattle Handling Facility Access." Selected Poster presented at Southern Agricultural Economics Association Virtual Annual Meeting, February 3-7, 2021.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Peel DS (2020). Economic considerations of enhanced BRD control .
Animal Health Research Reviews 21, 139142.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1466252320000304
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Peel, Derrell S. Effect of Market Forces on BRD. Vet Clin Food Anim 36 (2020): 497-508
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
M.B. Buda, K.C. Raper, J.M. Riley, and D.S. Peel. "Determinants of Feedlot Cattle Death Loss Rates." Journal of Applied Farm Economics. Vol. 3: Issues 2, Article 1. DOI: 10.7771/2331-9151.1037.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bob LeValley and Kellie Curry Raper. "Beef Quality Assurance: What is it?" Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 50, March 2021.
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Progress 05/01/19 to 04/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The audience reached was similar to the past reporting year. We reached Hispanic youth through "on the ranch" workshops during Oklahoma State University's Unidos se Puede Summer Academy College Experience and this year that workshop also reached African-American youth. 4-H youth were reached through hands-on workshops at State 4-H Round-Up. Extension educators were reached through targeted in-service programming. A broad audience of cow-calf producers was reached as well through various targeted programming. Newsmedia, including newspapers, livestock market publications, and industry publications reached a broad population of producers. The grant effort was also highlighted in the OSU Agricultural Economics Winter 2019 Research Update, reaching a broad audience of state agency officials, legislators, financial officers, and the general public. New and/or relatively inexperienced cow-calf producers were reached through Master Cattleman and Oklahoma Quality Beef Network programming. Changes/Problems:Spring and Summer 2020 educational programming and planning is a challenge due to COVID-19 restrictions. While research continues as planned, the extension component is proving more challenging in the short run. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Youth workshops allowed participants to have hands-on practice with implants and with banding methods of castration. For implants, calf ears were obtained from a nearby slaughter facility, and participants watched an implant demonstration, and then each, wearing appropriate protective equipment, had the opportunity to implant an ear. The castration banding demonstration was similar, but with artificial scrotums. In-service sessions communicated new findings regarding practice adoption of recommended practices within the state and encouraged extension educators to incorporate these materials into their programming. Questions were also solicited to guide our future efforts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Recommended calf health practices on the ranch are grounded in science. Youth activities have offered the opportunity to reach future producers, in the case of 4-H Roundup, with both the science and the economics behind the recommendations. Our "on the ranch" workshops with urban youth through the Unidos Summer Academy College Experience program has provided an opportunity to communicate that same information in a hands-on setting, but to a group, the bulk of whom likely are not future producers. This is a group, however, who will be better-informed consumers and whose interest in a career in the industry may be sparked from their experiences in the project and a visit to the ranch research facility for demonstrations. Both of these efforts are also beginning to spark future possibilities with other groups. The feature article on the grant effort in the Agricultural Economics Research Update reaches beyond our specific contacts to the general public, legislators, lenders, state agencies, industry liaisons, and alumni to highlight the impetus for and importance of these science-based recommendations, enhancing their understanding of the beef production system and the need for research and extension programming. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Write a summary document for the most recent Beef Management and Marketing survey. 2. Planning for the next Beef Management and Marketing survey. 3. Write and complete curriculum series for Implants and Castration. 4. Prioritize among practices and design curriculum series for those practices. 5. Work with administrators of state youth cattle handling competition to incorporate project components. 6. Continue workshop programming and leverage connections to expand it.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Comparison of data from the initial and most recent Beef Management and Marketing Survey indicates that the use of implants in calves prior to marketing continues to have low adoption rates, particularly relative to the costs and potential benefits to producers who are not marketing calves into a process verified program that requires no hormone use. Additionally, while castration rates did appear to increase, this is another area where those producers who choose not to castrate male calves prior to marketing are foregoing premiums per head on average of $6-$12/cwt. Further analysis of survey results continues. Objective 2: Implementation of the cattle handling survey is ongoing and raises producer awareness of other recommended management practices. The new website for beef educational materials is easier to navigate and pulls beef cattle resources from multiple disciplines. Improvements to the site and to materials continue to be made, providing a more accessible home for materials developed through this project. Video presentations of the Beef Cattle Manual chapters, a joint effort of beef extension programming groups, is approximately 50% complete. This will facilitate improved access to information regarding best management practices. Objective 3: Existing extension platforms (e.g. SunUp TV, Master Cattleman training and newsletters, annual ranch tours, Unidos Summer Youth Academy College Experience) were leveraged to deliver programming through multiple presentations and workshops, as well as video and news releases picked up by multiple media outlets. Hands-on opportunities were included in the programming. Youth workshops included opportunities for Q&A with progressive ranchers. Objective 4: A rough summary of the data from the most recent Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing survey is complete and work has begun on moving it to a publication format. This will facilitate comparison to the previous survey across various categories. Objective 5: A research project by a graduate student examined how producers tend to bundle various individual practices. This research was presented at a professional meeting and is also part of the student's dissertation. This work informs our ability to assess where "adoption gaps" might exist for producers and will improve targeting. Another research component produced an invited peer-reviewed article analyzing the economic value of managing pre-weaning calf health with respect to contagious illnesses.
Publications
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Progress 05/01/18 to 04/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Audiences reached during the reporting period include Hispanic youth through "on the ranch" workshops and new extension educators through targeted in-service programming. System-wide in-service training to agriculture extension educators was also delivered. A broad audience of cow-calf producers was reached as well through various targeted programming. News media, including newspapers and television segments, reached a broad population of producers. New and/or relatively inexperienced cow-calf producers were reached through Cow-Calf Bootcamp and the Master Cattleman programs. Influential experienced producers were reached through the Beef Industry Conference. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In-service training provided to area and county extension personnel and to Integrated Farm Management and Planning System (IFMAPS) consultants increased awareness of project goals and activities in addition to communicating program access and assistance. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A specific effort was made to reach Hispanic youth through workshops as part of the Unidos Summer Youth Academy. The goal of the USY Academy is to expose youth to on-campus research and extension efforts in order to generate interest in educational opportunities and to highlight potential career paths. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Outline curriculum series. Analysis of new adoption data from most recent Beef Management and Marketing Survey. Complete Master Cattleman video series. Continue implementation of workshops.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Data from the most recent Beef Management and Marketing Survey was received from NASS. Objective 2: A cattle handling survey was developed to assist area and county educators in producer assessment and to facilitate educational opportunities regarding cattle handling techniques. Continuing consolidation of existing relevant educational materials into one easy-to-access and easy-to-navigate multi-disciplined beef webpage (beef.okstate.edu) has improved resource availability. An effort is underway to create online video presentations of the Beef Cattle Manual chapters to facilitate access. Objective 3: An Animal Care and Use protocol was approved for hands-on producer training. Multiple presentations, along with video and news release picked up by multiple media outlets leveraged other existing extension platforms (e.g. SunUp, Beef Industry Conference, Master Cattleman training and newsletters, Cow-Calf Boot Camp, Unidos Hispanic Summer Youth Academy) to communicate the health benefits and economic returns associated with basic calf management practices. Objective 4: Assessment of changes in practice adoption is underway using data from the 2nd iteration of the Beef Management and Marketing Survey (see Objective 1 progress). Objective 5: An article examining producer behavior with respect to record-keeping practices was published. A conference presentation addresses the economic value of managing pre-weaning calf and herd health with respect to contagious illnesses.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Raper, Kellie Curry, Damona Doye and Derrell S. Peel. Why Arent More Calf Management Records Kept by Beef Producers? Journal of the NACAA 11(2), December 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper and Derrell Peel. Premiums Still Strong for Oklahoma Quality Beef Network in 2018 Sales. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 42, March 2019.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Glenn Selk and Kellie Curry Raper. Why have a Calving Season? Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 41, December 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper. 2017 OQBN Premiums by Weight Class and Gender . Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 39, June 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Riley, John M., Courtney L. Hurt, Derrell S. Peel, and Kellie Curry Raper. Economic Consideration of Pre-Weaning Calf Health Management. SE ARPAS Symposium, American Society of Animal Scientists, Southern Section Meeting, Oklahoma City, OK. January 27, 2019.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper and Derrell Peel. A Quick Look at Producer Cattle Handling Facility Access. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 41, December 2018.
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Progress 05/01/17 to 04/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences reached during this reporting period include future industry leaders, such as the state cattlemen association's leadership academy participants and progressive producers who particpate in industry tours, including county organizations and out of state organizations. Programming efforts also reached beginning and/or future producers through hands-on Boot Camp efforts for beginning or inexperienced producers and through field tours with Hispanic youth. Traditional extension audiences were also reached through extension meetings and television segments. Additionally, program efforts reached veterinarian students who may advise cattlemen in the future. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Hispanic youth program is designed specifically to increase this underserved group's interest in learning and to expose students to a collegiate environment and career possibilities. Participants chose workshops based on their own interests. This workshop was incorporated as a part of that program and was conducted at a campus-owned ranch to facilitate up-close learning about beef research, including the science behind and value of specific calf management practices. SunUp (https://www.youtube.com/user/SUNUPTV/) is a widely-viewed weekly television program produced by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension and provides an avenue to communicate research results, implications and management recommendations directly to producers. SunUp segments are also archived on the web for easy access. Mulitple SunUp segments were conducted by project members on the topic of implants. Research results, practice recommendations, and value assessments were also disseminated through the existing Master Cattleman program via program classes and the quarterly newsletter that goes out to a large group of cattlemen across the state. Newsletter articles are also often picked up by media and further disseminated. Results and recommendations have also been disseminated through traditional outlets such as county cattlemen meetings and industry tours. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Discussions with the advisory board will guide future program and curriculum development. Data from the cow-calf survey will be analyzed to help understand more about producer choices and constraints regarding practice implementation. Curricula designed for youth programs will be outlined.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The overall goal of this project is to increase cow-calf producer adoption of recommended management practices, as this can help both manage costs and generate more revenue per cow, increasing economic returns to the producer. The approach is multi-faceted. Educational efforts targeted to cow-calf producers should (1) use research based information to illustrate the value of specific management practices to the producer, (2) understand the constraints to implementation that producers perceive and (3) provide information and hands-on technical education when applicable. Objective 1 Based on previous work, two calf management practices in Oklahoma with low adoption rates relative to benefit-cost expectations include castration and implants. Though other management practices also return value to the producer, these two, in particular, can have an immediate impact on net returns. Marketing a castrated male calf versus a bull calf has been shown to bring $6-$12 per hundredweight of the calf and the cost of castration is low. Calfhood implanting results in additional weight gain at a very low cost to the producer. Objective 2 As a first step toward providing relevant and easily accessible educational materials, a targeted collaborative effort is underway to (1) inventory and (2) consolidate existing relevant materials into one easy-to-access and easy-to-navigate webpage as a primary resource for beef producers and industry partners. This will be done across disciplines, delivery modes, and personnel within the University system - both within and outside of the project. Collaborative partners include the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the PIs of this project and other personnel in the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Objective 3 Multiple workshops (7) targeted current cow-calf producers and emphasized use and value of calfhood implants and the need for castration of bull calves - specifically early-life castration, along with other basic management practices such as a defined calving season and dehorning. Two workshops effectively reached younger producers, future producers, and future industry participants, while another reached future large animal veterinarians to educate them about factors and management practices that affect calf market value and, ultimately, beef quality. Objective 4 A comprehensive survey of beef producers' production, management and marketing practices was implemented and is currently in the data entry stage. Results of this survey will be compared to previous survey results to measure progress as well as to provide a benchmark for the recurring assessment survey which will be conducted at the end of this project. Objective 5 An article was published that examines the demographics of producers who choose not to adopt specific practices and indicates that extension education has a positive influence on adoption. An article in review considers constraints to record-keeping of calf management practices. Research that links preferences of calf buyers to calf management practices was presented at a professional conference.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Mulenga, Brian, Kellie Curry Raper, Derrell S. Peel and Amy Hagerman. 'Calf Location, Source and Background Preferences of Oklahoma Beef Stocker Producers. Selected Poster presented at Southern Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting, Jacksonville, Florida. February 2-6, 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Lalman, David. Management Calendar. Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 36, December 2017.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Raper, Kellie Curry. "For the Record..." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 35, July 2017.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kellie Curry Raper, Derrell Peel and Eric DeVuyst. "Oklahoma Quality Beef Network Sees Strong Premiums in 2017." Master Cattleman Quarterly, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Volume 37, March 2018.
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