The University of Minnesota and Minnesota Beef Council are collaborating on an overview study mapping the pathways Minnesota beef cattle travel from birth to finish.
The study will provide a foundational overview by documenting and describing the farm-to-feedlot pathways currently being utilized by Minnesota beef producers. “Our team needs producer knowledge and experience in answering survey questions pertaining to management practices and the movement of cattle. We want to gather knowledge from MN producers so we can better serve them by tailoring research specific to Minnesota needs,” said Dr. Joe Armstrong.
The survey is the first step in a larger effort involving a collaboration between the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Minnesota Beef Council, and University of Minnesota Extension. The research team is being led by Dr. Noelle Noyes with help from Dr. Tim Goldsmith, Dr. Luciano Caixeta, Dr. Joe Armstrong, and two veterinary students – Sabina Ponicki and Kaylan Risacher.
Dr. Joe Armstrong – “We are all excited to start a project that is specific to cattle production in Minnesota, and hope producers are willing to give a few minutes of their time to take the survey. We are striving to use research to provide recommendations that fit the Minnesota cattle industry, not extrapolate from research done in other systems.”
The survey is available online at z.umn.edu/beefpathways and should take producers approximately 5-10 minutes to finish. Survey results and responses are completely voluntary and confidential. Participants will have the option to be entered into a raffle using an email address that will give away a Pierce VAXmate cooler.
