Success StoryBQCA Trainings



BQCA Trainings

Author: Benjamin Conner

Planning Unit: College of Agriculture

Major Program: Beef

Plan of Work: Youth and Adults Agriculture and Natural Resources Education, Adaptation, & Sustainability

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Beef cattle production is composed of several different part, one of which is animal husbandry. According to Meriam-Webster the definition of animal husbandry is, “a branch of agriculture concerned with the production and care of domestic animals.” To ensure that producers continue to improve their animal husbandry practices, the extension agent offered Beef Quality and Care Assurance (BQCA) training over four dates from January to March. Over those four dates a total of 26 Scott County beef producers attended the training. The training is compromised of videos covering topics such as handling cattle properly, proper technique in giving shots, the use of genetics for breeding selection, and reading labels for medication. There was a mix of veteran producers and first-time farmers attending the trainings. For the veteran farmers, I was able to see that they appreciated the refresher as some information had been forgotten since their last training. The first-time farmers were able to get good base knowledge on how to ensure they properly handle their cattle to produce a good and quality product. All producers passed the test given and the goal is that they will use the knowledge from the training and implement it on their farms.