PSVI-13 Responses of undergraduate students pre- and post-education on poultry industry and welfare issues

Abstract

Abstract Students enrolled in a poultry science course were surveyed at the start and end of the semester in the first part of a multi-year study to quantify the effect of science-based education on opinion of the poultry industry. Students marked a vertical line on a 130mm horizontal line to indicate their level of agreement with 16 poultry issue statements. Surveys were collected anonymously using self-assigned code names in order to compare responses before and after taking the course. Post-survey, the 130mm line was separated into 5 sections; 0–20% agreeability was categorized as strongly disagree, 21–40% disagree, 41–60% neutral, 61–80% agree, and 81–100% strongly agree. Additionally, students were asked to answer three demographic questions regarding 1) Level of farm-animal experience (grew up on livestock farm, from an urban/city environment with no livestock experience, or other significant livestock experience), 2) Sex, and 3) Career goals (poultry industry, other livestock industry, or non-animal industry). Anonymous demographic data obtained from the office of the registrar showed that of the 29 students surveyed at the beginning of the semester: 8 were male, 21 were female, 23 were residents of Iowa, 6 were non-Iowa residents, 7 were agricultural studies majors, 21 were animal science majors, and one student was classified as a general undergraduate pre-vet major. Student responses were compared using the means procedure of SAS 9.4 based on answers to demographic questions (categorized as: farm, urban, other animal experience; female or male; poultry career, livestock career, or non-animal career). Results before science-based poultry education showed that responses on poultry issue statements (poultry welfare, industry ethics, commercial laying hen housing, and poultry product purchasing decisions) were significantly affected by experience, sex, and career plans (P < 0.05). Responses from the end of semester are forthcoming.