Abstract
Abstract Livestock shows allow youth to get firsthand experience in handling and taking care of animals, and other life skills such as responsibility, time management, hard work, and leadership. However, the relationship between participation in livestock shows and future career choices has not been clearly established. A questionnaire survey was developed to gather information from students, agriculturists, and agricultural professionals in an attempt to answer the above question. The questionnaire reached 14 land-grant universities, five animal agriculture-related companies, and over 27,000 people on social media. 516 respondents competed the 19-question survey. Respondents were divided into four regions (Southern 1; Northeast, 2; Mid-west, 3 and West, 4). Data collected on binomial variables were analyzed using Probit analysis to determine regional and gender differences. Chi square tests of independence were used to test the association of selected categorical variables. All analyses were conducted using SAS (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). Significantly, more females (48.2%) considered community outreach as a benefit out of participating in youth livestock shows compared to males (31.9%). Fewer individuals in the southern region (24.1%) viewed financial management as a strength of participation compared to other regions (≈ 38%). Males were much more frequently members of Future Farmers of America (70.1%) compared to females (53.3%). The regions 2, 3, and 4 showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of participation in 4-H (90%) compared to region 1 (69%). The results provided much useful information related to youth livestock shows but did not demonstrate a clear relationship between participation in livestock shows and future career choices.
Accepted Version
Published Version
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