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Dairy producer views on calf rearing Russell, Elizabeth Rose
Abstract
Calf rearing practices vary greatly among farms, including feeding and weaning methods. This variation may relate to differences in how dairy producers view these practices and evaluate their own success, but no previous research has examined these views. The aim of this study was to investigate perspectives of dairy producers on calf rearing, focusing on calf weaning and how they characterized weaning success. We interviewed 18 dairy producers from Western Canada: British Columbia (n = 13), Manitoba (n = 2), and Alberta (n = 3). Participants were asked to describe their calf weaning and rearing practices, and what they viewed as successes and challenges in weaning and rearing calves. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative analysis from which we identified four major themes: (1) reliance on calf-based indicators (e.g., health, growth, and behaviour), (2) management factors and personal experiences (e.g., ease, consistency, and habit), (3) environmental influences (e.g., facilities and equipment), and (4) integration of external support (e.g., advice and educational opportunities). These results provide insight into how dairy producers view calf weaning and rearing and may help inform the design of future research and knowledge transfer projects aimed at improving management practices on dairy farms.
Item Metadata
Title |
Dairy producer views on calf rearing
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Creator | |
Supervisor | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2021
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Description |
Calf rearing practices vary greatly among farms, including feeding and weaning methods. This variation may relate to differences in how dairy producers view these practices and evaluate their own success, but no previous research has examined these views. The aim of this study was to investigate perspectives of dairy producers on calf rearing, focusing on calf weaning and how they characterized weaning success. We interviewed 18 dairy producers from Western Canada: British Columbia (n = 13), Manitoba (n = 2), and Alberta (n = 3). Participants were asked to describe their calf weaning and rearing practices, and what they viewed as successes and challenges in weaning and rearing calves. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative analysis from which we identified four major themes: (1) reliance on calf-based indicators (e.g., health, growth, and behaviour), (2) management factors and personal experiences (e.g., ease, consistency, and habit), (3) environmental influences (e.g., facilities and equipment), and (4) integration of external support (e.g., advice and educational opportunities). These results provide insight into how dairy producers view calf weaning and rearing and may help inform the design of future research and knowledge transfer projects aimed at improving management practices on dairy farms.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2021-09-09
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0401962
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2021-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International