Beef Cattle Raising to Produce Quality Fattening Cattle of the Beef Cattle Raising Community Enterprise, Sichon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

     The objectives of this research were to study beef cattle production management of farmers; farmers' knowledge about quality fattening cattle production; and problems in quality fattening cattle production by the beef cattle raising community enterprise farmers in Sichon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This research was a survey research. The study population was 178 beef cattle raising community enterprise farmers in Sichon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, who were registered with the Livestock Department in 2020. The sample size of 123 farmers was determined using the Taro Yamane formula with an error value of 0.05. A simple random sampling technique was used based on the proportions of each community enterprise. Data were collected through an interview form and analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution, percentage, minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation, and ranking. The investigation showed that most farmers raised female hybrid beef cattle and produced calves on their farms. Farmers had an average experience of 15.06 years in raising beef cattle. They fed their beef cattle with concentrated feed and let them graze on pasture forage. Vaccination and deworming were performed by the livestock officers. The beef cattle, both male and female, were sold as whole cows to other farmers. Farmers had the highest level of  knowledge about producing quality fattening cattle in terms of cattle feed, while they had the lowest level of knowledge about the quality fattening cattle market. Farmers faced the most serious problem with Quality cattle breeds, while disease control was their least difficult problem.