An overview of economic, managerial, social aspects, animal management, and welfare practices on cow-calf operations: a national survey in Brazil

An overview of economic, managerial, social aspects, animal management, and welfare practices on cow-calf operations: a national survey in Brazil | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article An overview of economic, managerial, social aspects, animal management, and welfare practices on cow-calf operations: a national survey in Brazil Vitória Toffolo Luiz Rozin, Oscar Alejandro Ojeda-Rojas, Angela Maria Gonella-Diaza, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407904/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The beef cattle industry in Brazil has historically lacked data on management practices incorporated in cow-calf operations. This survey aimed to obtain a national overview of cow-calf operations in Brazil, reporting the general descriptions of the farm, such as economic, social, animal management, and welfare practices. Data were collected from 280 farms via an online questionnaire from August 2022 to August 2023. More than half of the respondents (56.40%, n = 141) were from farms with up to 1,000 ha in total area. The main challenges faced were high nutritional input costs (26%, n = 73) and labor laws (22%, n = 61). Only 30.36% (n = 85) relied solely on cow-calf operations for family income. Over 70% (n = 196) utilized management tools such as spreadsheets or software, while 19.28% (n = 54) conducted investment analysis. A majority (64.29%, n = 180) planned for family succession. The survey revealed widespread adoption of welfare practices in cattle handling (81.07%, n = 227). The average weaning age of calves was 7.4 months, with limited use of early weaning. Overall, the survey suggests that respondents engage in technical consulting, utilize cattle financing, and implement family succession planning to enhance the financial and technical efficiency of their operations. farm producers practices questionnaire Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 INTRODUCTION The beef cattle industry in Brazil has historically lacked data on management practices implemented on cow-calf operations. In contrast, countries such as the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020 ), Canada (Western Beef, 2018 ), and Australia (Meat & Livestock Australia, 2020) regularly collect data through producer surveys, offering a comprehensive overview of management practices in their respective cow-calf sectors. Brazil is a leading global beef producer, ranking as the second-largest producer worldwide (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2024 ). With 153 million hectares of pastureland across six biomes, the country is home to approximately 88 million cows in the breeding herd (Anualpec, 2021 ). Given this scale and diversity, research based on surveys to characterize cow-calf operations in Brazil has become essential for optimizing practices within the agribusiness sector. Studies providing statistical data on the cow-calf sector at the national level are crucial for the scientific community and for transferring valuable information to producers, producer associations, technical consultants, investors, financial institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organizations interested in livestock. Such research also generates datasets that support agribusiness companies and help inform public policies related to cattle farming in Brazil. Despite the importance of these studies, there is limited information on cow-calf operations in Brazil, where management practices vary across regions and biomes (Pires, 2010 ). This survey aims to provide a national overview of cow-calf operations, focusing on the economic, managerial, social, animal management, and welfare practices. MATERIAL AND METHODS All procedures used for this survey were approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research of the School of Animal Science and Food Engineering and Plataforma Brasil (approved on 03/24/2022; report number: 5.310.709; Certificate of Ethical Approval number: 54068721.4.0000.5422). Informed consent was obtained from all participants before their involvement in the study. Data Collection The survey was conducted using a web-based platform ( https://pt.surveymonkey.com/ ) and was accessible to participants from August 2022 to August 2023. The questions pertained to Brazilian farms involved in cow-calf production during the 2021 production year or the 2021–2022 breeding season, the with show cattle data not included data set activities excluded. Responses were collected from farm owners, general managers, employees, or technicians working on cow-calf operations. In Brazil, a country with a vast and diverse territory, survey research is not widely practiced, particularly in livestock production areas where cultural factors complicate survey administration. As a result, alternative methods were used to reach producers. A list of contacts, including 954 stakeholders such as farm owners, managers, consultants, and employees, was compiled from cow-calf associations, technical consultants (veterinarians, agronomists, and animal scientists), and rural unions. Additionally, an invitation to participate was published in a prominent Brazilian agricultural magazine ( https://portaldbo.com.br/ ), which focuses on beef cattle farming. Initial contact was made by phone, followed by text messages with project details and instructions for accessing the survey. Two hundred eighty respondents completed the survey, representing 731,602 cattle distributed across Brazil’s major cow-calf producing regions (Fig. 1). Survey Questions The survey comprised 61 questions across 22 pages, incorporating a variety of question types: semi-closed (30.00%, n = 18), multiple choice (28.00%, n = 17), classification (16.00%, n = 10), checkboxes (13.00%, n = 8), and open-ended (13.00%, n = 8). Table 1 provides a breakdown of the survey topics, including general farm descriptions (65.57%, n = 40), animal welfare and management (19.67%, n = 12), and economic, managerial, and social factors (14.75%, n = 9). Table 1 Survey question categories and question topics about cow-calf operation. Survey question category (n = 61) Survey question topics General descriptions of the farm (65.57%, n = 40) • Production system used • Animal inventory • Leased areas for pastures • Property size (total area of farm and area for cow-calf operation) • Farm location (region and federal unit) Economic, managerial, and social aspects (14.75%, n = 9) • Duration of cow-calf operations • Adoption of management tools • Type of economic analysis used • Use of cattle financing from a bank • Goals about animal inventory • Proportion of income from cow-calf operation • Challenges faced Animal management and welfare practices (19.67%, n = 12) • Calf weaning age • Use of cattle chutes • Handling of newborn calves • Orphan calf management • Adoption of animal welfare practices during handling • Adoption of maternity pastures • Use of hot iron branding on calves at the time of weaning • Use of scales to determine body weight Statistical Analysis Completed questionnaires from the SurveyMonkey® platform were exported to Excel® (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and reviewed for inconsistencies. Responses from farms where the total farm area exceeded the area of the cow-calf operation (10.71%, n = 30/280) or where the number of weaned calves exceeded the number of births (15.34%, n = 43/280) were excluded for the statistical analysis. Data were then transferred to the SAS 9.4 platform (SAS® Institute Inc., Cary, NC) for analysis. Quantitative data were summarized using the MEANS procedure to calculate the number of responses, model, mean, minimum, and maximum values. Qualitative data were summarized using the FREQ procedure to obtain frequency statistics. The Chi-square test was applied to explore associations between variables of interest and farm categories by size (small farms: up to 1,000 ha, medium farms: 1,001 to 10,000 ha, and large farms:10,001 to 38,348 ha) and region (Central-West Region; Southeast, South, North, and Northeast), with significance set at p value < 0.05. Figures were generated using Excel® (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and Origin® 2024 software (Northampton, MA, USA). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This study fills a significant data gap by documenting the management practices used on cow-calf operations in Brazil, a vastly underreported topic. With substantial participation from owners, general managers, employees, and technicians across the country's regions, this survey provides an unprecedented national overview of cow-calf operations. General descriptions of the farm Among the respondents, 66.78% (n = 187) were farm owners, 22.14% (n = 62) were general managers representing the farm owners, 10.00% (n = 28) were farm consultants (animal scientists, veterinarians, agronomists), and 1.08% (n = 3) were farm employees. Participants were spread across all regions of Brazil, with the majority located in the Midwest and Southeast regions, representing 33.93% (n = 95) and 25.71% (n = 72), respectively (Figure 1). As for the herd size of respondents, the mean number of total cattle (male and female) reported by respondents was 2,612 head (minimum = 17, maximum = 32,770). The mean number of calves born was 971 (minimum = 15, maximum = 9,791), and the mean number of weaned calves was 879 (minimum = 12, maximum = 7,671) (Table 2). In comparison, data from the United States indicate that 44.80% (n = 902) of respondents own 1 to 50 beef cows, and 32.44% (n = 653) own 50 to 199 cows (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). In Canada, 66.00% (n = 35,207) of respondents manage beef cows of 1 to 122 head (Beef Cattle Research Council, 2019). Regarding equids (horses, donkeys, and mules) used in management for Brazilian cow-calf operations, the average number was one equid per 90 cattle. Among the farms surveyed, the mean number of equids was 29 (maximum = 385), with two farms reporting no equids used in their operations (Table 2). Beef cattle operations in Brazil can be categorized into cow-calf, backgrounding (grower operation), and finishing phases (grass-finished or feedlot-finished). Of the respondents, 42.86% (n = 120) reported being exclusively cow-calf operations, 32.50% (n = 9) were engaged in cow-calf, backgrounding, and finishing (pasture or feedlot), 20.71% (n = 58) had cow-calf and backgrounding operations, and 3.93% (n = 11) had both cow-calf operations and finishing (pasture or feedlot) operations (Table 3). Regarding the production system, 77.50% (n = 217) of respondents used the conventional beef production system (conventional grazing system). In comparison, 22.14% (n = 62) reported using Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems (animal and crop production on the same land), 3.21% (n = 9) used Integrated Livestock–Forest or Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forest Systems, and only 1.78% (n = 5) reported adopting an organic production system (Table 3). The total land area of the farms participating in this survey had a mean of 3,292 ha (minimum = 27 ha, maximum = 38,348 ha; n = 250). The mean area dedicated to cow-calf operations was 1,667 ha (minimum = 20 ha, maximum = 15,000 ha; n = 250) (Table 2). To facilitate the analysis, farms were grouped into three categories based on total land area: small farms (up to 1,000 ha), medium farms (1,001 to 10,000 ha), and large farms (10,001 to 38,348 ha) (Figure 2, Table 5, Table 6). More than half of the respondents (56.40%, n = 141) operated small farms, 34.40% of respondents (n = 86) operated medium farms, and 9.20% of respondents (n = 23) operated large farms (Figure 2). In livestock production, farmers often face the decision between specialization and diversification. Specialization involves focusing on a single activity, while diversification encompasses engaging in multiple agricultural or livestock activities. Specialization enhances farm efficiency, allowing farmers to concentrate on one activity and adopt the latest technologies. Conversely, diversification helps mitigate price risks by spreading them across various activities and provides a more stable income. The impact of specialization on technical efficiency is thus critical and warrants careful analysis to ensure farms are informed about their sufficiency and efficiency (Alhas-Eroglu, 2022). This study examines the relationship between total farm area and the area dedicated to cow-calf operations to assess how much land is allocated exclusively to beef cow-calf production (Figure 2). The findings show that farms with total areas exceeding 10,001 ha exhibit more significant variation in land use, indicating less specialization in cow-calf production compared to medium and small farms (Figure 2). Among farms with more than 10,001 ha, 39.13% (mean = 19,777, minimum = 12,000, maximum = 31,500; n = 9) were exclusively dedicated to cow-calf production, while 39.13% (mean = 23,122, minimum = 11,000, maximum = 38,348; n = 9) engaged in cow-calf, backgrounding, and finishing operations, and 21.74% (mean = 16,954, minimum = 14,000, maximum = 20,660; n = 5) focused on cow-calf and backgrounding. Larger farms typically have more extensive pasture areas, allowing for more greater herd size, facilitating the desired financial returns from selling calves and culling animals. In Brazil, the average stocking rate used is 1.22 cattle per hectare (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2024). Thus, farms with more extensive areas benefit from greater flexibility to adjust stocking rates, allowing for changes in the number of animals in the rearing and/or finishing phases each year. Additionally, these farms can utilize crop areas to support the breeding sector during the off-season (Peterson et al., 2020). Regarding leased areas for cow-calf operations, 15.20% (n = 38/250) of respondents reported leasing land, with an average leased area of 352 ha (ranging from 5 to 4,000 ha) (Table 2). Chi-square analysis revealed a significant association between the decision to lease land and both farm size ( p value = 0.027) (Table 5) and the region of the cow-calf operation ( p value = 0.001) (Table 7). Leasing was more common among small farms (20.57%, n = 29/38; Table 5) and in the Southern regions (31.71%, n = 13/41; Table 7). This trend was also consistent with regional data, which showed that 80.56% (n = 29/36) of farms in the South were small (less than 1,000 ha), a greater percentage than in other regions (Southeast = 79.03%, n = 49/62; North = 54.84%, n = 17/31; Northeast = 51.43%, n = 18/35; Central-West = 32.56%, n = 28/86). This suggests that small beef cattle farms in Brazil tend to lease land to maintain or expand their cow-calf operations, aiming to increase family income and improve financial returns, a common strategy in small-scale livestock farming (Sugiarto et al., 2020). Leasing land is particularly important for increasing the production of weaned calves and enhancing financial outcomes (Torstenson et al., 2002). The interest in leasing land can be attributed to the peak phase of the cattle cycle in Brazil (2021-2022), characterized by high calf prices. During this period, small producers attempted to increase their herd size by leasing additional land to expand calf production, utilizing almost the entire farm for calf production (Figure 2). Another important observation is that 77.30% (n = 109/141) of respondents from small farms in Brazil reported relying on additional income sources outside cow-calf operations to supplement their earnings (Table 5). The proportion of producers leasing land for cow-calf operations varies significantly across countries (Statistics Canada, 2016; U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). In Canada, 43.10% of respondents reported leasing land (Statistics Canada, 2016), while in the United States, only 6.90% of producers did so (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). These discrepancies can be attributed to factors such as population density, land prices, land productivity, plot sizes, the presence of waterways, road accessibility, income levels, urban proximity, and the use of contractual financing (Mihailova, 2022). Furthermore, there is a correlation between land prices and leasing costs, which affects leasing dynamics across different regions (Mihailova, 2022). Economic and managerial aspects In modern cattle farming, ranch owners are expected to manage operations using business management principles, setting goals, achieving satisfactory zootechnical and economic indices, and periodically reviewing these metrics. These goals are often supported through technical consulting services and financing. In Brazil, over half of the respondents (64.29%, n = 180) reported using technical consulting services to assist with cow-calf operations, and nearly half (42.86%, n = 120) utilized cattle financing from a bank to support production costs and investments (Table 3). Additionally, the survey found that 70.00% (n = 196) of respondents utilized eletronic management tools such as software and spreadsheets for their cow-calf operations (Table 3). In Canada, data from the 2016 Census of Agriculture revealed that 52.00% of producers used computers, and 39.00% used laptops and tablets to manage beef cattle production data (Jelinski et al., 2019). In a survey conducted by Dahlen et al. (2014), when beef producers were asked about technologies they were likely to use in the next 1 to 5 years, the use of cell phones was the predominant choice (90.6%, n = 395/436). According to Table 5, there was a significant association between farm size and the use of management tools ( p value ≤ 0.001, but no association between farm size and cattle financing ( p value = 0.886). A greater proportion of respondents from large (86.96%, n = 20/23) and medium (87.21%, n = 75/86) farms used management tools compared with those from small farms (57.45%, n = 81/141). The use of management tools was also associated with regional differences in Brazil ( p value = 0.001) (Table 7). In the Northeast, a greater proportion of respondents (83.33%, n = 30/36) used management tools compared to other regions (Table 7). Among those respondents indicating that they do not use management tools (a total of 74), 81.08% (n = 60) had small farms. Small farms may face challenges in understanding production data, including the impact of calf age at weaning on cow and calf performance and overall production economics. A study on technical efficiency in beef cattle farms found that data collection and financial control reduce production inefficiencies, enabling producers to manage input-output relationships and cost-income balances and make more informed decisions (Alhas‑Eroglu, 2022). Another critical factor for the success of cow-calf operations is the economic analysis of the business, which helps identify the financial returns that motivate producers to use practices that enhance profitability(Alhas‑Eroglu, 2022). The current survey that Brazilian calf producers rarely conducted investment analysis calculations (Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Payback), with only 19.28% (n = 54) engaging in such practices. However, 78.57% (n = 220) calculate profit, 76.78% (n = 215) calculate revenue, and 55.00% (n = 154) calculate gross margin (Table 3). Ojeda-Rojas et al. (2022) used a simulation model of a 400 female herd to compare the economic performance of different reproductive strategies in Brazilian cow-calf operations, emphasizing that assessing profit or cost in isolation was insufficient for evaluating the economic profitability of the activity. Their study further suggests that comparisons with other activities or more detailed analyses, such as investment analysis, are necessary for a comprehensive assessment (Ojeda-Rojas et al., 2022). For cow-calf operations in Brazil, only 30.36% (n = 85) of respondents rely exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income (Table 3). This variable was associated with farm size ( p value = 0.015, Table 5) and with region ( p value = 0.050, Table 7). Small farms and respondents from the Southeast region were more likely to rely on supplementary income sources in addition to cow-calf operations. This may be influenced by various factors, including business, family, regional, seasonal, and cultural considerations, where producers seek diversification to supplement family income (Alhas‑Eroglu, 2022). Business factors, such as profitability, are essential to support family livelihoods and encourage producers to remain in cow-calf operations. Factors like nutrition costs, stocking rates, and average weight gain can significantly impact the system's profitability (Semchechem et al., 2021). When these factors are not controlled, they may lead to financial instability or even the cessation of operations (Semchechem et al., 2021). Social aspects Most respondents (61.43%, n = 172) planned to increase their herd size during the 2021 production year or the 2021-2022 breeding season, while 38.57% (n = 108) intended to maintain or reduce their herds (Table 3). The push to increase herd size during this period can be attributed to the peak in the cattle cycle (2021-2022), marked by rising calf prices in Brazil. In 2021, the mean price of weaned calves in São Paulo was US$531 and US$529 in 2022, while in Mato Grosso do Sul, the prices were US$538 and US$514, respectively (Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, 2023). These prices were significantly greater compared to the 2019-2020 period, when the prices were US$362 in Mato Grosso do Sul and US$373 in São Paulo (Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, 2023). Higher calf prices generally encourage the retention of breeding females, thereby enhancing production capacity and improving the profitability outlook for subsequent production cycles (Mundlak and Huang, 1996; Linnell, 2024). However, the findings of this study indicate that producers expressed an intention to expand their herds during a peak phase of the cattle cycle, that is, to purchase additional animals, a strategy that may entail substantial risk for cow–calf operations. At market peaks, the cost per head is markedly elevated, increasing the capital required for herd expansion and potentially heightening producers’ financial vulnerability. To mitigate these risks, producers must consider cattle-cycle forecasts when making herd-management decisions (Linnell, 2024). In contrast, some producers (38.57%, n = 108) expressed interest in maintaining or reducing their herds. This suggests the need to investigate further why these producers were not inclined to increase their female cattle numbers. When asked about the challenges in calf production, the most frequently cited difficulties were nutritional input costs (29%, n = 32/108), employee-related social aspects, including employee training (12%, n = 13/108), and labor laws (9%, n = 10/108). Notably, the primary challenge reported by these producers was managing the cost of nutrition and ensuring cows maintained optimal body condition, particularly during dry periods. Maintaining cow body condition is crucial, as it is positively linked to postpartum cyclicity and estrus manifestation, both of which are essential for achieving high reproductive rates, such as selling one calf per cow per year (Hess et al., 2005; Diskin & Keny, 2014; Baruselli et al., 2021). In addition to market prices and financial considerations that impact calf supply and demand in Brazil (Turner et al., 2013), the price of land is another key factor influencing a producer’s decision to maintain, reduce, or increase herd sizes. Land prices can pressure producers to explore switching to more profitable agricultural activities (Dill et al., 2015). Based on the information extracted from the database, respondents who intended to reduce their herd inventory farms with a mean total area of 2,754 ha (ranging from 30 to 38,348 ha), with 1,195 ha (ranging from 20 to 10,251 ha) dedicated to cow-calf operations. The mean cattle inventory on these farms was 2,096 head (ranging from 17 to 32,060). Furthermore, the mean number of calves born was 832 (ranging from 16 to 7,174), and the mean number of weaned calves was 785 (ranging from 12 to 6,891). The average age at weaning was 7 months (ranging from 3 to 10 months). A detailed analysis revealed that relative to the mean area and herd size for cow-calf operations, the stocking rate for these farms was greater (1.75 animal unity per hectare) compared to the Brazilian average (1.32) (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2023). Adjusting the stocking rate is influenced by the farm's technological level and size, and is essential for ensuring optimal nutritional conditions for breeding females and achieving a reasonable weaning rate (Vendramini et al., 2015). Annual surveys with updated questionnaires have been successfully utilized in other countries to investigate producers in beef production and better understand the challenges faced in cow-calf operations (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020; Western Beef, 2018; Meat & Livestock Australia, 2020). The difficulties involved in cow-calf operations in Brazil at the national level are revealed through this research. Producers were asked to rate a list of challenges on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents minimal concern and 10 represents very significant concern (Figure 3). The highest scores were assigned to the cost of nutritional inputs (26%, n = 73), labor laws (22%, n = 61), employee training (14%, n = 40), and maintaining adequate body condition for cattle (11%, n = 32) (Figure 3). In contrast, the lowest scores (indicating the least concern) were given for semen selection (20%, n = 120), selection of replacement bulls (19%, n = 119), cattle finance (19%, n = 118), and marketing calves (18%, n = 112) (Figure 3). Maintaining a good body condition score is one of the most significant challenges for cow-calf producers, particularly during the dry season in Brazil (Hess et al., 2005; Diskin and Kenny, 2014; Baruselli et al., 2021). This research confirms these findings, as respondents identified the cost of nutritional inputs as their most significant challenge (Figure 3). The cost composition of Brazilian cow-calf operations in 2021, depending on the efficient use of resources to support productivity and herd performance (ranging from low-input traditional to intensive systems), nutrition expenses can vary substantially, from 11.52% in low-input systems to 52.12% in intensive systems of total operating costs (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2022). This variation in expense highlights the critical importance of nutrition as a primary concern for Brazilian cattle producers. Labor laws and employee training were the second and third most frequently indicated challenges faced by Brazilian cow-calf producers (Figure 3). Producers often highlight issues related to high employee turnover and the difficulties of retaining workers in the production process (Malanski et al., 2019). Additionally, the lack of qualifications and skills among workers is a challenge to efficient operation (Durst et al., 2018). Another crucial social aspect in cow-calf operations is family succession planning. Farms in Brazil represent substantial financial assets (as indicated by the mean value per hectare in Table 2), and often, these farms are transferred within families to ensure continuity in the business. Family succession is vital because it increases the likelihood of producers investing in growth strategies and adapting to external changes (Inwood and Sharp, 2012). Without a successor, farmland is more likely to be abandoned or left inactive (Sottomayor, 2011).This survey found that more than half of the respondents (64.29%, n = 180) have family succession plans for their cow-calf operations (Figure 4). The mean duration of cow-calf operations was 23 years, with some producers starting the business as recently as one year ago, while others had farms passed down through generations for as long as 100 years. According to the survey data, respondents generally have favorable social conditions that facilitate family succession planning and the expansion of beef cattle herds to enhance financial and technical efficiency, supporting the continuity of cow-calf operations in Brazil. Animal management Weighing animals can be a powerful tool for managing cow-calf operations effectively. A significant 91.43% (n = 256) of respondents reported using scales to evaluate animal body weight for general animal management (Table 3). An association was found between farm size and the use of scales ( p value = 0.008), although no differences were observed across regions ( p value = 0.101). Notably, all large farms (100.00%, n = 23/23) and 98.84% (n = 85/86) of medium farms used scales, compared to 89.36% (n = 126/141) of small farms (Table 6). In Brazilian cow-calf operations, 82.50% (n = 231) of respondents reported using scales to measure calf body weight at weaning. Weaning weight and weaning rate are critical metrics that can be indicative or performance, as they reflect the cows’ overall conditions in terms of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, and health (Peacock et al., 1971; Dill et al., 2015), as well as the management practices applied to the newborn calf until weaning (Cruz et al., 2022). The ratio of weaned calves per cow exposed to reproduction is one of the most important indicators of reproductive and productive efficiency in cow-calf operations (Burns et al., 2010). Additionally, knowing the weaning weight helps producers determine the optimal time for weaning, allowing them to market more homogeneous batches of weaned calves. Nearly half of the respondents (42.14%; n = 118) reported weaning cattle at 8 months old, followed by 39.64% (n = 111) who weaned at 7 months old, 6.07% (n = 17) who weaned after 9 months, and 12.14% (n = 34) who weaned before 6 months old (Table 4). The research found that the mean age at weaning for Brazilian cow-calf operations was 7.4 months (median = 7; minimum = 3; maximum = 10). These findings align with Rasby’s (2007) data, which indicate that the typical weaning age ranges from 7 to 8 months. In the United States, the trend was similar: 33.70% of respondents weaned between 6 and 7 months (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). However, early weaning (before 6 months) was more common in the United States (34.30%) compared to Brazil. The United States weans calves at a younger age, and has greater body weight gains and feed efficiency during the finishing period, allowing it to be the largest beef producer globally, followed by Brazil (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2022). Advancements in calf growth and finishing technology/infrastructure could allow Brazil to supplant other countries in the world ranking of beef produced. The age at weaning is a critical factor for assessing the economic potential of cow-calf operations and can serve as a strategic tool for intensification (Rasby, 2007). The data from this research (Table 4) show that early weaning (before 5 months) is a management strategy that is rarely used in Brazil. Early weaning can result in reduced nutritional demands on cows, improving their body condition and thus increasing pregnancy rates during the subsequent breeding season (Myers et al., 1999; Nishimura et al., 2023). Nishimura et al. (2023) observed that in Nelore primiparous and multiparous cows, early weaning at 5 months resulted in greater cow body weights at conventional weaning (8 months of calf age; 541 kg vs. 493 kg), prepartum (551 kg vs. 506 kg), and during the breeding season after weaning (475 kg vs. 450 kg), compared to conventional weaning. Notably, this research identified a high prevalence of hot-iron branding at calf weaning, with 73.10% of respondents (n = 205; Table 3) reporting its use. The practice was more common on large farms (Table 6, p -value = 0.001) and differed significantly across regions (Table 8, p -value = 0.004). The location of the branding varies from farm to farm. This method has traditionally been used in Brazil to identify cattle or assign them a unique ID number. In contrast, hot-iron branding is less common in the United States, where brucellosis vaccination is not mandatory (Olsen and Hennager, 2010). For instance, among the one-fourth of United States producers who used brucellosis vaccination, 26.10% opted for ear tags, while only 26.60% used hot-iron branding (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). Animal welfare practices Cow-calf operation farms implement various management practices that are essential for animal welfare. This research identified a high adoption rate of welfare practices in Brazilian cow-calf operations (Table 3). There was a significant association between the use of squeeze chutes ( p value = 0.001), adoption of maternity pastures ( p value = 0.000), and implementation of protocols for handling orphaned calves ( p value = 0.008) with the total farm size, with larger farms reporting greater use of the respective practices (Table 6). However, adopting animal welfare practices during handling was not associated with farm size ( p value = 0.734) (Table 6). For further details on the relationship between welfare practices and Brazilian regions, refer to Table 8. Among the management practices, protocols for handling orphaned calves are particularly important. Orphaned calves are a common occurrence in cow-calf operations, often resulting from the death of the cow, insufficient milk production, or calf rejection (Briggs et al., 2023). It is essential for calf survival to implement practices to ensure the well-being and health of these animals. According to this survey, 89.64% (n = 251) of respondents reported implementing specific protocols for managing orphaned calves (Table 3). Medium-sized farms were more likely to use these protocols than small and large farms (Table 6). Among these practices, bottle-feeding calves to provide colostrum and milk until weaning was a common approach (Briggs et al., 2023). Respondents described using foster cows, artificial colostrum, milk supply, and creep feed until the calves were weaned. In cow-calf operations, the success of rearing and feeding a calf from birth to weaning is heavily influenced by the maternal ability of the cow (Nevard et al., 2022). With this in mind, the adoption of maternity pastures facilitates the daily management tasks of cattlemen, such as rounding up animals, assisting with calving when necessary, providing basic care at birth, and performing postnatal identification procedures. These pastures are typically located closer to the farm employees’ homes, or in central areas of the farm and near working facilities, allowing for more efficient management. Table 3 shows that 77.50% (n = 217) of respondents use maternity pastures in Brazilian cow-calf operations. This finding aligns with other data from the study, where most producers also perform essential practices like navel care (96.07%, n = 269), deworming (80.71%, n = 226), and evaluating both the cow and calf after birth (77.50%, n = 217) (Table 3). Adopting welfare practices in the corral is another critical aspect of improving farm routines and human-animal relationships. In this study, welfare practices in the corral refer specifically to low-stress cattle handling techniques, including the use of cattle flags (without ropes or wooden sticks), animal-welfare methods learned through training courses, moving animals quietly without horses or dogs, individualized sanitary management in the chute, and acclimating cattle to the working facilities. Hard work and worker stress can lead to accidents and injuries for workers and animals (Lindahl et al., 2013; Ceballos et al., 2018). This survey revealed that 81.07% (n = 227) of respondents incorporate welfare practices during the handling (Table 3). These techniques are most effective when combined with proper training for cattlemen to ensure positive human-animal interactions. In a study of 24 cow-calf operations in Brazil, Ceballos et al. (2018) reported that untrained workers demonstrated poorer handling quality and triggered more undesirable animal behaviors during handling ( p value < 0.05). Considering the peak of the cattle cycle in Brazil (2021–2022), even with high calf prices, more than half of the respondents relied on activities other than cow-calf operations for family income and planned to increase their herd size. Despite favorable selling prices, very few producers conducted investment analysis. The main challenges reported included nutritional costs, labor laws, employee training, and maintaining adequate body condition in the herd. Small farms often lease land to scale up operations and improve profitability. There was significant adoption of technical consulting and cattle financing to support production costs, investment needs, and family succession planning.While early weaning was uncommon among Brazilian farmers, animal welfare practices in handling facilities were widely implemented. The survey indicates that producers have favorable social conditions to improve financial and technical efficiency, offering valuable insights for producers, technical assistance providers, investors, banks, and agribusiness companies, and contributing to the development of public policies for cattle farming in Brazil. Declarations FUNDING STATEMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors thank Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant No. 2022/08449-6), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brazil (CAPES, Finance Code 001), and Brazilian magazine’s ( Portal da DBO ) contribution in disseminating this research. COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare there are no competing interests. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT V.T.L.R.: project administration, conceptualization, formal analysis, methodology, writing – original draft, review & editing. O. A. O. R.: conceptualization and methodology. A.M. G. D.: formal analysis and writing – review & editing. M.S. P. C.: formal analysis and writing – review & editing. G. P.: formal analysis and writing – review & editing. J. C. C. B.: formal analysis and writing – review & editing. C. R. D.: writing – review & editing. A. H. G.: conceptualization and writing – review & editing. R. S. G.: conceptualization, supervision, formal analysis, methodology, funding acquisition, and writing – review & editing. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Data generated or analyzed during this study are provided in full within the published article. ETHICS APPROVAL All procedures used for this survey were approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research of the School of Animal Science and Food Engineering and Plataforma Brasil (approved on 03/24/2022; report number: 5.310.709; Certificate of Ethical Approval number: 54068721.4.0000.5422). Informed consent was obtained from all participants before their involvement in the study. 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Accessed 19 Dec 2024 Tables Table 2. Measures of central tendency of general descriptions of the farm in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. Item n Mean Median Minimum Maximum General descriptions of the farm Total farm area, ha 250 3,292 890 27 38,348 Cow-calf production area, ha 250 1,667 500 20 15,000 Leased area a , ha 48 352 135 5 4,000 Number of corrals 280 2 1,5 1 20 Duration of cow-calf operations (years) 280 23 20 1 100 Head inventory (cattle and equids) Total cattle (male and female), n 280 2,612 929 17 32,770 Calves born, b 237 971 350 15 9,791 Calves weaned, n 237 879 307 12 7,671 Equids, n 280 29 12 0 385 Mean land price in Brazil, $/ha c 3,521 3,324 1,319 8,930 a Out of 280 farms, 48 respondents (17.14%) leased pastures to operate cow-calf business. b 5 respondents do not know the number of calves born. c Data from Júnior et al. (2024), according to dollar values for pasture. Table 3. Frequency distribution and percentage of general descriptions of the farm, managerial and social aspects, animal management, and animal welfare practices in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. Item n Percent Type of beef cattle production carried out in Brazil (n = 280) Only cow-calf operation 120 42.86 Cow-calf, stocker, and finishing operations 91 32.50 Cow-calf and backgrounding operations 58 20.71 Cow-calf and finishing operations 11 3.93 Frequency of choice of respondents about production systems in cow-calf operation (n =280) Conventional system (beef cattle only) 217 77.50 Integrated Crop and Livestock Systems* 62 22.14 Integrated Livestock-Forest Systems* 9 3.21 Integrated Crop, Livestock and Forest System* 9 3.21 Organic system (beef cattle only) 5 1.78 Producer’s intention regarding herd inventory (n = 280) Increase 172 61.43 Maintain 97 34.64 Reduce 11 3.93 Social and economic aspects (n 1 = 280) Use of management tools (software, spreadsheets) 196 70.00 Use of technical consulting 180 64.29 Use of cattle financing from a bank 120 42.86 Relying exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income 85 30.36 Frequency of choice of respondents regarding the use of economic analysis (n 1 = 280) Profit (Total revenue - total expensive) 220 78.57 Revenue analysis (Total revenue) 215 76.78 Gross margin (Revenue - variable cost) 154 55.00 Investment analysis (Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Payback) 54 19.28 Structures of cow-calf operation (n = 280) Use of cattle chute at any moment during animal management 258 92.14 Use of scale at any moment during animal management 257 91.78 Animal management and welfare practices (n = 280) Use of specific management for orphaned calves 251 89.64 Use of hot iron branding on calves at the time of weaning (males and females) 205 73.10 Adoption of animal welfare practices during handling 227 81.07 Adoption of maternity pasture 217 77.50 Handling the newborn calves (n = 280) Navel care 269 96.07 Deworming 226 80.71 Visual assessment of the cow and calf after birth 217 77.50 Checking that the calf has suckled colostrum 197 70.36 Administration of antibiotics as a preventative treatment 115 41.07 Weighing 76 27.14 Injectable vitamin and mineral supplements 50 17.86 * Animal and vegetal production in the same area. Table 4. Frequency distribution and percentage of respondents who weaned calves in different months in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. A total of 280 respondents were evaluated. Age at weaning of calves, months n Percent 3 2 0.71 4 1 0.36 5 3 1.07 6 28 10.00 7 111 39.64 8 118 42.14 9 15 5.36 10 2 0.71 Table 5. Frequency distribution and percentage of economic, social, managerial aspects and general descriptions of the farm in Brazilian cow-calf operations compared with total farm area using Chi-Square Test. Item* Small farm a Medium farm b Large farm c p value † n % n % n % Use of lease areas for pastures (n = 250) No 112 79.43 79 91.86 21 91.30 0.027 Yes 29 20.57 7 8.14 2 8.70 Use of technical consulting (n = 250) No 61 43.26 24 27.91 3 13.04 0.004 Yes 80 56.74 62 72.09 20 86.96 Use of cattle financing from a bank (n = 250) No 81 57.45 48 55.81 12 52.17 0.886 Yes 60 42.55 38 44.19 11 47.83 Use of management tools (n = 250) ‡ No 60 42.55 11 12.79 3 13.04 ≤ 0.001 Yes 81 57.45 75 87.21 20 86.96 Relying exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income (n = 250) No 109 77.30 53 61.63 13 56.52 0.015 Yes 32 22.70 33 38.37 10 43.48 a Farms up to 1,000 ha in total area (54.40%, n = 141/250). b Farms between 1,001 ha to 10,000 ha in total area (34.40%, n = 86/250). c Farms between 10,001 to 38,348 ha in total area (9.20%, n = 23/250). * The percent was considered by column. † Values less than 0.05 were considered significant. ‡ Management tools were considered to use software and spreadsheets. Table 6. Frequency distribution and percentage of animal management and animal welfare in Brazilian cow-calf operations compared with total farm area using Chi-Square Test. Item* Small farm a Medium farm b Large farm c p value † n % n % n % Use of squeeze chute (n = 250) No 16 11.35 2 2.33 0 0.00 0.014 Yes 125 88.65 84 97.67 23 100.00 Use of scales (n = 250) No 15 10.64 1 1.16 0 0.00 0.008 Yes 126 89.36 85 98.84 23 100.00 Adoption of animal welfare practices during handling (n = 250) No 28 19.86 17 19.77 3 13.04 0.734 Yes 113 80.14 69 80.23 20 89.96 Adoption of maternity pasture (n = 250) No 44 31.21 10 11.63 1 4.35 0.000 Yes 97 68.79 76 88.37 22 95.65 Use of hot iron branding at the time of weaning (n = 250) No 50 35.46 16 18.60 1 4.35 0.001 Yes 91 64.54 70 81.40 22 95.65 Use of management for orphaned calf (n = 250) No 20 14.18 2 2.33 1 4.35 0.008 Yes 121 85.82 84 97.67 22 95.65 a Farms up to 1,000 ha in total area (54.40%, n = 141/250). b Farms between 1,001 ha to 10,000 ha in total area (34.40%, n = 86/250). c Farms between 10,001 to 38,348 ha in total area (9.20%, n = 23/250). * The percent was considered by column. † Values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Table 7. Frequency distribution and percentage of economic, social, managerial aspects and general descriptions of the farm in Brazilian cow-calf operations among different geographic regions in Brazil. Item* Midwest a Northeast b North c Southeast d South e p value † n % n % n % n % n % Use of lease areas for pastures (n = 280) No 86 90.53 35 97.22 29 80.56 54 75.00 28 68.29 0.001 Yes 9 9.47 1 2.78 7 19.44 18 25.00 13 31.71 Use of technical consulting (n = 280) No 30 31.58 6 16.67 17 47.22 33 45.83 14 34.15 0.019 Yes 65 68.42 30 83.33 19 52.78 39 54.17 27 65.85 Use of cattle finance (n = 280) No 48 50.53 21 58.33 17 47.22 49 68.06 25 60.98 0.141 Yes 47 49.17 15 41.67 19 52.78 23 31.94 16 39.02 Use of management tools (n = 280) ‡ No 22 23.16 6 16.67 11 30.56 22 30.56 23 56.10 0.001 Yes 73 76.16 30 83.33 25 69.44 50 69.44 18 43.90 Relying exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income (n = 280) No 57 60.00 26 72.22 25 69.44 59 81.94 28 68.29 0.050 Yes 38 40.00 10 27.78 11 30.56 13 18.06 13 31.71 a Midwest represents of 33.93% (n=95/280) of data. b Southeast represents of 25.71% (n = 72/280) of data. c South represents of 14.64% (n = 41/280) of data. d North represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data. e Northeast represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data. * The percent was considered by column. † Values less than 0.05 were considered significant. ‡ Management tools were considered to use software and spreadsheets. Table 8. Frequency distribution and percentage of animal management and welfare in Brazilian cow-calf operations among different geographic regions in Brazil compared using Chi-Square Test. Item* Midwest a Northeast b North c Southeast d South e p value † n % n % n % n % n % Use of the squeeze chute (n = 280) No 2 2.11 4 11.11 6 16.67 4 5.56 6 14.63 0.018 Yes 93 97.89 32 88.89 3 83.33 68 94.44 35 85.37 Use of scales (n = 280) No 5 5.26 0 0.00 4 11.11 8 11.11 6 14.63 0.101 Yes 90 94.74 36 100.00 32 88.89 64 88.89 35 85.37 Adoption of animal welfare practices in the corral (n = 280) No 15 15.79 2 5.56 13 36.11 16 22.22 7 17.07 0.015 Yes 80 84.21 34 94.44 23 63.89 56 77.78 34 82.93 Use of maternity pasture (n = 280) No 10 10.53 6 16.67 9 27.00 22 30.56 16 39.02 0.002 Yes 85 89.47 30 83.33 25.00 75.00 50 69.44 25 60.98 Use of hot iron branding fire at the time of weaning (n = 280) No 19 20.00 4 11.11 9 25.00 25 34.72 18 43.90 0.004 Yes 76 80.00 32 88.89 27 75.00 47 65.28 23 56.10 Use of management for orphaned calf (n = 280) No 3 3.16 3 8.33 5 13.89 7 9.72 11 26.83 0.001 Yes 92 96.84 33 91.67 31 86.11 65 90.28 30 73.17 a Midwest represents of 33.93% (n=95/280) of data. b Southeast represents of 25.71% (n = 72/280) of data. c South represents of 14.64% (n = 41/280) of data. d North represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data. e Northeast represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data. * The percent was considered by column. † Values less than 0.05 were considered significant. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8407904","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":587758110,"identity":"62ad9e26-874f-498d-9c53-e331f40f0e79","order_by":0,"name":"Vitória Toffolo Luiz Rozin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"USP FZEA: Universidade de Sao Paulo Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vitória","middleName":"Toffolo Luiz","lastName":"Rozin","suffix":""},{"id":587758111,"identity":"0a1ced47-06ba-413d-a0f1-143e7ff9f817","order_by":1,"name":"Oscar Alejandro Ojeda-Rojas","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Oscar","middleName":"Alejandro","lastName":"Ojeda-Rojas","suffix":""},{"id":587758112,"identity":"bea11ede-f8ce-46ca-945c-0f727bd28fad","order_by":2,"name":"Angela Maria Gonella-Diaza","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Angela","middleName":"Maria","lastName":"Gonella-Diaza","suffix":""},{"id":587758113,"identity":"8aeb3aea-5773-4e65-94fb-fc0703ad3d7b","order_by":3,"name":"Matheus Sousa de Paula Carlis","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAsUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCwyCiQIKBH0QzNhCtxUCCQbKBaC0HwFqA6ACxWviOMz/8XGFgYW98I/3ZA8Yd9whrkTzMZix5xkAicduNHHMDxjPFhLUYHOYBesNAIsHsRg6bBGNbAlFamH8Ctdgbz0h/RrQWNpAtjBuAFhGnBegXM0uglsQZZ96YGySeIUIL3/nDj282VNTZ87cDQ+zjDiK0IAM2BhI1gLSMglEwCkbBKMAGALB+NWOxuefhAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2641-5987","institution":"USP FZEA: Universidade de Sao Paulo Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Matheus","middleName":"Sousa de Paula","lastName":"Carlis","suffix":""},{"id":587758114,"identity":"2592547a-e9ad-4ddd-ab1a-84b58ac39c48","order_by":4,"name":"Guilherme Pugliesi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"USP FMVZ: Universidade de Sao Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guilherme","middleName":"","lastName":"Pugliesi","suffix":""},{"id":587758115,"identity":"8c4bfa3e-0be7-4099-b19e-78483703323f","order_by":5,"name":"Júlio César de Carvalho Balieiro","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"USP FMVZ: Universidade de Sao Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Júlio","middleName":"César de Carvalho","lastName":"Balieiro","suffix":""},{"id":587758116,"identity":"bf8f5d82-ba2a-4f49-8486-4a894f4120a0","order_by":6,"name":"Carl Robertson Dahlen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NDSU: North Dakota State University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Carl","middleName":"Robertson","lastName":"Dahlen","suffix":""},{"id":587758117,"identity":"8230b18b-b689-4610-9f95-7083827c97b3","order_by":7,"name":"Augusto Hauber Gameiro","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"USP FMVZ: Universidade de Sao Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Augusto","middleName":"Hauber","lastName":"Gameiro","suffix":""},{"id":587758118,"identity":"fbeccca6-4adb-4ba1-ae15-a00f366426bc","order_by":8,"name":"Rodrigo Silva Goulart","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4961-3866","institution":"USP FZEA: Universidade de Sao Paulo Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rodrigo","middleName":"Silva","lastName":"Goulart","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-19 20:03:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407904/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407904/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102532629,"identity":"8b973818-e5d9-4025-b340-94b6ac92a55f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 16:42:19","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":134517,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e(A) The distribution of 280 respondents from Brazilian cow-calf operations who fully completed the questionnaire during 2025. The map created using GoogleEarth® shows the locations of the farms by city. (B) Distribution of respondents by region and state.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8407904/v1/081628c0eb17657113e7f836.jpg"},{"id":102532625,"identity":"e844a16b-fa5b-4621-9169-56bc0b94003a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 16:42:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":150992,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eComparison of the total area of the farms with the area destined to operate Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. A total of 250 respondents were evaluated.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8407904/v1/300fac5912d8b310819fd96d.jpg"},{"id":102532627,"identity":"3c7ec345-9a1c-4206-bcf1-63ae120a9900","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 16:42:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":111489,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe percentage of scores given by producers to the challenges faced in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. A total of 280 respondents were evaluated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* The classification was from 1 to 10, with 1 being the minimum challenge (least worrying) and 10 being the maximum challenge (very worrying).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8407904/v1/9d080fafba59383d5f702243.jpg"},{"id":102532626,"identity":"3463d2f2-8434-4b0b-b386-5cb8db845de3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 16:42:18","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":45501,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFrequency distribution and percentage of respondents regarding family succession in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. A total of 280 respondents were evaluated.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8407904/v1/8cc96545a928781230f47461.jpg"},{"id":102746433,"identity":"c7c50892-b3f0-4d36-a2d9-279c2981006f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-16 08:57:39","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1524358,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8407904/v1/d9d9a974-b47e-4e95-a1aa-68aa5628942d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"An overview of economic, managerial, social aspects, animal management, and welfare practices on cow-calf operations: a national survey in Brazil","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe beef cattle industry in Brazil has historically lacked data on management practices implemented on cow-calf operations. In contrast, countries such as the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e), Canada (Western Beef, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), and Australia (Meat \u0026amp; Livestock Australia, 2020) regularly collect data through producer surveys, offering a comprehensive overview of management practices in their respective cow-calf sectors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrazil is a leading global beef producer, ranking as the second-largest producer worldwide (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). With 153\u0026nbsp;million hectares of pastureland across six biomes, the country is home to approximately 88\u0026nbsp;million cows in the breeding herd (Anualpec, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Given this scale and diversity, research based on surveys to characterize cow-calf operations in Brazil has become essential for optimizing practices within the agribusiness sector.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies providing statistical data on the cow-calf sector at the national level are crucial for the scientific community and for transferring valuable information to producers, producer associations, technical consultants, investors, financial institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organizations interested in livestock. Such research also generates datasets that support agribusiness companies and help inform public policies related to cattle farming in Brazil.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the importance of these studies, there is limited information on cow-calf operations in Brazil, where management practices vary across regions and biomes (Pires, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). This survey aims to provide a national overview of cow-calf operations, focusing on the economic, managerial, social, animal management, and welfare practices.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"MATERIAL AND METHODS","content":"\u003cp\u003eAll procedures used for this survey were approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research of the School of Animal Science and Food Engineering and \u003cem\u003ePlataforma Brasil\u003c/em\u003e (approved on 03/24/2022; report number: 5.310.709; Certificate of Ethical Approval number: 54068721.4.0000.5422). Informed consent was obtained from all participants before their involvement in the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe survey was conducted using a web-based platform (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://pt.surveymonkey.com/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://pt.surveymonkey.com/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) and was accessible to participants from August 2022 to August 2023. The questions pertained to Brazilian farms involved in cow-calf production during the 2021 production year or the 2021\u0026ndash;2022 breeding season, the with show cattle data not included data set activities excluded. Responses were collected from farm owners, general managers, employees, or technicians working on cow-calf operations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Brazil, a country with a vast and diverse territory, survey research is not widely practiced, particularly in livestock production areas where cultural factors complicate survey administration. As a result, alternative methods were used to reach producers. A list of contacts, including 954 stakeholders such as farm owners, managers, consultants, and employees, was compiled from cow-calf associations, technical consultants (veterinarians, agronomists, and animal scientists), and rural unions. Additionally, an invitation to participate was published in a prominent Brazilian agricultural magazine (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://portaldbo.com.br/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://portaldbo.com.br/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e), which focuses on beef cattle farming. Initial contact was made by phone, followed by text messages with project details and instructions for accessing the survey. Two hundred eighty respondents completed the survey, representing 731,602 cattle distributed across Brazil\u0026rsquo;s major cow-calf producing regions (Fig.\u0026nbsp;1).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSurvey Questions\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe survey comprised 61 questions across 22 pages, incorporating a variety of question types: semi-closed (30.00%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;18), multiple choice (28.00%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;17), classification (16.00%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10), checkboxes (13.00%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8), and open-ended (13.00%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8). Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e provides a breakdown of the survey topics, including general farm descriptions (65.57%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40), animal welfare and management (19.67%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;12), and economic, managerial, and social factors (14.75%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSurvey question categories and question topics about cow-calf operation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSurvey question category (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;61)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSurvey question topics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGeneral descriptions of the farm (65.57%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Production system used\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Animal inventory\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Leased areas for pastures\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Property size (total area of farm and area for cow-calf operation)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Farm location (region and federal unit)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEconomic, managerial, and social aspects (14.75%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Duration of cow-calf operations\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Adoption of management tools\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Type of economic analysis used\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Use of cattle financing from a bank\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Goals about animal inventory\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Proportion of income from cow-calf operation\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Challenges faced\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnimal management and welfare practices (19.67%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;12)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Calf weaning age\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Use of cattle chutes\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Handling of newborn calves\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Orphan calf management\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Adoption of animal welfare practices during handling\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Adoption of maternity pastures\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Use of hot iron branding on calves at the time of weaning\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Use of scales to determine body weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eCompleted questionnaires from the SurveyMonkey\u0026reg; platform were exported to Excel\u0026reg; (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and reviewed for inconsistencies. Responses from farms where the total farm area exceeded the area of the cow-calf operation (10.71%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;30/280) or where the number of weaned calves exceeded the number of births (15.34%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;43/280) were excluded for the statistical analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eData were then transferred to the SAS 9.4 platform (SAS\u0026reg; Institute Inc., Cary, NC) for analysis. Quantitative data were summarized using the MEANS procedure to calculate the number of responses, model, mean, minimum, and maximum values. Qualitative data were summarized using the FREQ procedure to obtain frequency statistics. The Chi-square test was applied to explore associations between variables of interest and farm categories by size (small farms: up to 1,000 ha, medium farms: 1,001 to 10,000 ha, and large farms:10,001 to 38,348 ha) and region (Central-West Region; Southeast, South, North, and Northeast), with significance set at \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e value\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. Figures were generated using Excel\u0026reg; (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and Origin\u0026reg; 2024 software (Northampton, MA, USA).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS AND DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study fills a significant data gap by documenting the management practices used on cow-calf operations in Brazil, a vastly underreported topic. With substantial participation from owners, general managers, employees, and technicians across the country\u0026apos;s regions, this survey provides an unprecedented national overview of cow-calf operations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGeneral descriptions of the farm\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the respondents, 66.78% (n = 187) were farm owners, 22.14% (n = 62) were general managers representing the farm owners, 10.00% (n = 28) were farm consultants (animal scientists, veterinarians, agronomists), and 1.08% (n = 3) were farm employees. Participants were spread across all regions of Brazil, with the majority located in the Midwest and Southeast regions, representing 33.93% (n = 95) and 25.71% (n = 72), respectively (Figure 1).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs for the herd size of respondents, the mean number of total cattle (male and female) reported by respondents was 2,612 head (minimum = 17, maximum = 32,770). The mean number of calves born was 971 (minimum = 15, maximum = 9,791), and the mean number of weaned calves was 879 (minimum = 12, maximum = 7,671) (Table 2). In comparison, data from the United States indicate that 44.80% (n = 902) of respondents own 1 to 50 beef cows, and 32.44% (n = 653) own 50 to 199 cows (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). In Canada, 66.00% (n = 35,207) of respondents manage beef cows of 1 to 122 head (Beef Cattle Research Council, 2019).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding equids (horses, donkeys, and mules) used in management for Brazilian cow-calf operations, the average number was one equid per 90 cattle. Among the farms surveyed, the mean number of equids was 29 (maximum = 385), with two farms reporting no equids used in their operations (Table 2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeef cattle operations in Brazil can be categorized into cow-calf, backgrounding (grower operation), and finishing phases (grass-finished or feedlot-finished). Of the respondents, 42.86% (n = 120) reported being exclusively cow-calf operations, 32.50% (n = 9) were engaged in cow-calf, backgrounding, and finishing (pasture or feedlot), 20.71% (n = 58) had cow-calf and backgrounding operations, and 3.93% (n = 11) had both cow-calf operations and finishing (pasture or feedlot) operations (Table 3). Regarding the production system, 77.50% (n = 217) of respondents used the conventional beef production system (conventional grazing system). In comparison, 22.14% (n = 62) reported using Integrated Crop\u0026ndash;Livestock Systems (animal and crop production on the same land), 3.21% (n = 9) used Integrated Livestock\u0026ndash;Forest or Integrated Crop\u0026ndash;Livestock\u0026ndash;Forest Systems, and only 1.78% (n = 5) reported adopting an organic production system (Table 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe total land area of the farms participating in this survey had a mean of 3,292 ha (minimum = 27 ha, maximum = 38,348 ha; n = 250). The mean area dedicated to cow-calf operations was 1,667 ha (minimum = 20 ha, maximum = 15,000 ha; n = 250) (Table 2). To facilitate the analysis, farms were grouped into three categories based on total land area: small farms (up to 1,000 ha), medium farms (1,001 to 10,000 ha), and large farms (10,001 to 38,348 ha) (Figure 2, Table 5, Table 6). More than half of the respondents (56.40%, n = 141) operated small farms, 34.40% of respondents (n = 86) operated medium farms, and 9.20% of respondents (n = 23) operated large farms (Figure 2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn livestock production, farmers often face the decision between specialization and diversification. Specialization involves focusing on a single activity, while diversification encompasses engaging in multiple agricultural or livestock activities. Specialization enhances farm efficiency, allowing farmers to concentrate on one activity and adopt the latest technologies. Conversely, diversification helps mitigate price risks by spreading them across various activities and provides a more stable income. The impact of specialization on technical efficiency is thus critical and warrants careful analysis to ensure farms are informed about their sufficiency and efficiency (Alhas-Eroglu, 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study examines the relationship between total farm area and the area dedicated to cow-calf operations to assess how much land is allocated exclusively to beef cow-calf production (Figure 2). The findings show that farms with total areas\u0026nbsp;exceeding 10,001 ha exhibit more significant variation in land use, indicating less specialization in cow-calf production compared to medium and small farms (Figure 2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong farms with more than 10,001 ha, 39.13% (mean = 19,777, minimum = 12,000, maximum = 31,500; n = 9) were exclusively dedicated to cow-calf production, while 39.13% (mean = 23,122, minimum = 11,000, maximum = 38,348; n = 9) engaged in cow-calf, backgrounding, and finishing operations, and 21.74% (mean = 16,954, minimum = 14,000, maximum = 20,660; n = 5) focused on cow-calf and backgrounding. Larger farms typically have more extensive pasture areas, allowing for more greater herd size, facilitating the desired financial returns from selling calves and culling animals. In Brazil, the average stocking rate used is 1.22 cattle per hectare (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2024). Thus, farms with more extensive areas benefit from greater flexibility to adjust stocking rates, allowing for changes in the number of animals in the rearing and/or finishing phases each year. Additionally, these farms can utilize crop areas to support the breeding sector during the off-season (Peterson et al., 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding leased areas for cow-calf operations, 15.20% (n = 38/250) of respondents reported leasing land, with an average leased area of 352 ha (ranging from 5 to 4,000 ha) (Table 2). Chi-square analysis revealed a significant association between the decision to lease land and both farm size (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.027) (Table 5) and the region of the cow-calf operation (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.001) (Table 7). Leasing was more common among small farms (20.57%, n = 29/38; Table 5) and in the Southern regions (31.71%, n = 13/41; Table 7).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis trend was also consistent with regional data, which showed that 80.56% (n = 29/36) of farms in the South were small (less than 1,000 ha), a greater percentage than in other regions (Southeast = 79.03%, n = 49/62; North = 54.84%, n = 17/31; Northeast = 51.43%, n = 18/35; Central-West = 32.56%, n = 28/86). This suggests that small beef cattle farms in Brazil tend to lease land to maintain or expand their cow-calf operations, aiming to increase family income and improve financial returns, a common strategy in small-scale livestock farming (Sugiarto et al., 2020). Leasing land is particularly important for increasing the production of weaned calves and enhancing financial outcomes (Torstenson et al., 2002).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interest in leasing land can be attributed to the peak phase of the cattle cycle in Brazil (2021-2022), characterized by high calf prices. During this period, small producers attempted to increase their herd size by leasing additional land to expand calf production, utilizing almost the entire farm for calf production (Figure 2). Another important observation is that 77.30% (n = 109/141) of respondents from small farms in Brazil reported relying on additional income sources outside cow-calf operations to supplement their earnings (Table 5).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe proportion of producers leasing land for cow-calf operations varies significantly across countries (Statistics Canada, 2016; U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). In Canada, 43.10% of respondents reported leasing land (Statistics Canada, 2016), while in the United States, only 6.90% of producers did so (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). These discrepancies can be attributed to factors such as population density, land prices, land productivity, plot sizes, the presence of waterways, road accessibility, income levels, urban proximity, and the use of contractual financing (Mihailova, 2022). Furthermore, there is a correlation between land prices and leasing costs, which affects leasing dynamics across different regions (Mihailova, 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEconomic and managerial aspects\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn modern cattle farming, ranch owners are expected to manage operations using business management principles, setting goals, achieving satisfactory zootechnical and economic indices, and periodically reviewing these metrics. These goals are often supported through technical consulting services and financing. In Brazil, over half of the respondents (64.29%, n = 180) reported using technical consulting services to assist with cow-calf operations, and nearly half (42.86%, n = 120) utilized cattle financing from a bank to support production costs and investments (Table 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, the survey found that 70.00% (n = 196) of respondents utilized eletronic management tools such as software and spreadsheets for their cow-calf operations (Table 3). In Canada, data from the 2016 Census of Agriculture revealed that 52.00% of producers used computers, and 39.00% used laptops and tablets to manage beef cattle production data (Jelinski et al., 2019). In a survey conducted by Dahlen et al. (2014), when beef producers were asked about technologies they were likely to use in the next 1 to 5 years, the use of cell phones was the predominant choice (90.6%, n = 395/436).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to Table 5, there was a significant association between farm size and the use of management tools (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue \u0026le; 0.001, but no association between farm size and cattle financing (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.886). A greater proportion of respondents from large (86.96%, n = 20/23) and medium (87.21%, n = 75/86) farms used management tools compared with those from small farms (57.45%, n = 81/141). The use of management tools was also associated with regional differences in Brazil (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.001) (Table 7). In the Northeast, a greater proportion of respondents (83.33%, n = 30/36) used management tools compared to other regions (Table 7).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong those respondents indicating that they do not use management tools (a total of 74), 81.08% (n = 60) had small farms. Small farms may face challenges in understanding production data, including the impact of calf age at weaning on cow and calf performance and overall production economics. A study on technical efficiency in beef cattle farms found that data collection and financial control reduce production inefficiencies, enabling producers to manage input-output relationships and cost-income balances and make more informed decisions (Alhas‑Eroglu, 2022).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother critical factor for the success of cow-calf operations is the economic analysis of the business, which helps identify the financial returns that motivate producers to use practices that enhance profitability(Alhas‑Eroglu, 2022). The current survey that Brazilian calf producers rarely conducted investment analysis calculations (Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Payback), with only 19.28% (n = 54) engaging in such practices. However, 78.57% (n = 220) calculate profit, 76.78% (n = 215) calculate revenue, and 55.00% (n = 154) calculate gross margin (Table 3). Ojeda-Rojas et al. (2022) used a simulation model of a 400 female herd to compare the economic performance of different reproductive strategies in Brazilian\u0026nbsp;cow-calf operations, emphasizing that assessing\u0026nbsp;profit or cost in isolation was insufficient for evaluating the economic profitability of the activity. Their study further suggests that comparisons with other activities or more detailed analyses, such as investment analysis, are necessary for a comprehensive assessment (Ojeda-Rojas et al., 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor cow-calf operations in Brazil, only 30.36% (n = 85) of respondents rely exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income (Table 3). This variable was associated with farm size (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.015, Table 5) and with region (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.050, Table 7). Small farms and respondents from the Southeast region were more likely to rely on supplementary income sources in addition to cow-calf operations. This may be influenced by various factors, including business, family, regional, seasonal, and cultural considerations, where producers seek diversification to supplement family income (Alhas‑Eroglu, 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBusiness factors, such as profitability, are essential to support family livelihoods and encourage producers to remain in cow-calf operations. Factors like nutrition costs, stocking rates, and average weight gain can significantly impact the system\u0026apos;s profitability (Semchechem et al., 2021). When these factors are not controlled, they may lead to financial instability or even the cessation of operations (Semchechem et al., 2021).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSocial aspects\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost respondents (61.43%, n = 172) planned to increase their herd size during the 2021 production year or the 2021-2022 breeding season, while 38.57% (n = 108) intended to maintain or reduce their herds (Table 3). The push to increase herd size during this period can be attributed to the peak in the cattle cycle (2021-2022), marked by rising calf prices in Brazil. In 2021, the mean price of weaned calves in S\u0026atilde;o Paulo was US$531 and US$529 in 2022, while in Mato Grosso do Sul, the prices were US$538 and US$514, respectively (Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, 2023). These prices were significantly greater compared to the 2019-2020 period, when the prices were US$362 in Mato Grosso do Sul and US$373 in S\u0026atilde;o Paulo (Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, 2023).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHigher calf prices generally encourage the retention of breeding females, thereby enhancing production capacity and improving the profitability outlook for subsequent production cycles (Mundlak and Huang, 1996; Linnell, 2024). However, the findings of this study indicate that producers expressed an intention to expand their herds during a peak phase of the cattle cycle, that is, to purchase additional animals, a strategy that may entail substantial risk for cow\u0026ndash;calf operations. At market peaks, the cost per head is markedly elevated, increasing the capital required for herd expansion and potentially heightening producers\u0026rsquo; financial vulnerability. To mitigate these risks, producers must consider cattle-cycle forecasts when making herd-management decisions (Linnell, 2024).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn contrast, some producers (38.57%, n = 108) expressed interest in maintaining or reducing their herds. This suggests the need to investigate further why these producers were not inclined to increase their female cattle numbers. When asked about the challenges in calf production, the most frequently cited difficulties were nutritional input costs (29%, n = 32/108), employee-related social aspects, including employee training (12%, n = 13/108), and labor laws (9%, n = 10/108). Notably, the primary challenge reported by these producers was managing the cost of nutrition and ensuring cows maintained optimal body condition, particularly during dry periods. Maintaining cow body condition is crucial, as it is positively linked to postpartum cyclicity and estrus manifestation, both of which are essential for achieving high reproductive rates, such as selling one calf per cow per year (Hess et al., 2005; Diskin \u0026amp; Keny, 2014; Baruselli et al., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to market prices and financial considerations that impact calf supply and demand in Brazil (Turner et al., 2013), the price of land is another key factor influencing a producer\u0026rsquo;s decision to maintain, reduce, or increase herd sizes. Land prices can pressure producers to explore switching to more profitable agricultural activities (Dill et al., 2015).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the information extracted from the database, respondents who intended to reduce their herd inventory farms with a mean total area of 2,754 ha (ranging from 30 to 38,348 ha), with 1,195 ha (ranging from 20 to 10,251 ha) dedicated to cow-calf operations. The mean cattle inventory on these farms was 2,096 head (ranging from 17 to 32,060). Furthermore, the mean number of calves born was 832 (ranging from 16 to 7,174), and the mean number of weaned calves was 785 (ranging from 12 to 6,891). The average age at weaning was 7 months (ranging from 3 to 10 months). A detailed analysis revealed that relative to the mean area and herd size for cow-calf operations, the stocking rate for these farms was greater (1.75\u003cins cite=\"mailto:Dahlen,%20Carl\" datetime=\"2025-08-26T09:48\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/ins\u003eanimal unity per hectare) compared to the Brazilian average (1.32) (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2023). Adjusting the stocking rate is influenced by the farm\u0026apos;s technological level and size, and is essential for ensuring optimal nutritional conditions for breeding females and achieving a reasonable weaning rate (Vendramini et al., 2015).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnnual surveys with updated questionnaires have been successfully utilized in other countries to investigate producers in beef production and better understand the challenges faced in cow-calf operations (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020; Western Beef, 2018; Meat \u0026amp; Livestock Australia, 2020). The difficulties involved in cow-calf operations in Brazil at the national level are revealed through this research. Producers were asked to rate a list of challenges on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents minimal concern and 10 represents very significant concern (Figure 3). The highest scores were assigned to the cost of nutritional inputs (26%, n = 73), labor laws (22%, n = 61), employee training (14%, n = 40), and maintaining adequate body condition for cattle (11%, n = 32) (Figure 3). In contrast, the lowest scores (indicating the least concern) were given for semen selection (20%, n = 120), selection of replacement bulls (19%, n = 119), cattle finance (19%, n = 118), and marketing calves (18%, n = 112) (Figure 3).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaintaining a good body condition score is one of the most significant challenges for cow-calf producers, particularly during the dry season in Brazil (Hess et al., 2005; Diskin and Kenny, 2014; Baruselli et al., 2021). This research confirms these findings, as respondents identified the cost of nutritional inputs as their most significant challenge (Figure 3). The cost composition of Brazilian cow-calf operations in 2021, depending on the efficient use of resources to support productivity and herd performance (ranging from low-input traditional to intensive systems), nutrition expenses can vary substantially, from 11.52% in low-input systems to 52.12% in intensive systems of total operating costs (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2022). This variation in expense highlights the critical importance of nutrition as a primary concern for Brazilian cattle producers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLabor laws and employee training were the second and third most frequently indicated challenges faced by Brazilian cow-calf producers (Figure 3). Producers often highlight issues related to high employee turnover and the difficulties of retaining workers in the production process (Malanski et al., 2019). Additionally, the lack of qualifications and skills among workers is a challenge to efficient operation (Durst et al., 2018).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother crucial social aspect in cow-calf operations is family succession planning. Farms in Brazil represent substantial financial assets (as indicated by the mean value per hectare in Table 2), and often, these farms are transferred within families to ensure continuity in the business. Family succession is vital because it increases the likelihood of producers investing in growth strategies and adapting to external changes (Inwood and Sharp, 2012). Without a successor, farmland is more likely to be abandoned or left inactive (Sottomayor, 2011).This survey found that more than half of the respondents (64.29%, n = 180) have family succession plans for their cow-calf operations (Figure 4). The mean duration of cow-calf operations was 23 years, with some producers starting the business as recently as one year ago, while others had farms passed down through generations for as long as 100 years. According to the survey data, respondents generally have favorable social conditions that facilitate family succession planning and the expansion of beef cattle herds to enhance financial and technical efficiency, supporting the continuity of cow-calf operations in Brazil.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnimal management\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeighing animals can be a powerful tool for managing cow-calf operations effectively. A significant 91.43% (n = 256) of respondents reported using scales to evaluate animal body weight for general animal management (Table 3). An association was found between farm size and the use of scales (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.008), although no differences were observed across regions (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.101). Notably, all large farms (100.00%, n = 23/23) and 98.84% (n = 85/86) of medium farms used scales, compared to 89.36% (n = 126/141) of small farms (Table 6).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Brazilian cow-calf operations, 82.50% (n = 231) of respondents reported using scales to measure calf body weight at weaning. Weaning weight and weaning rate are critical metrics that can be indicative or performance, as they reflect the cows\u0026rsquo; overall conditions in terms of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, and health (Peacock et al., 1971; Dill et al., 2015), as well as the management practices applied to the newborn calf until weaning (Cruz et al., 2022). The ratio of weaned calves per cow exposed to reproduction is one of the most important indicators of reproductive and productive efficiency in cow-calf operations (Burns et al., 2010). Additionally, knowing the weaning weight helps producers determine the optimal time for weaning, allowing them to market more homogeneous batches of weaned calves.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNearly half of the respondents (42.14%; n = 118) reported weaning cattle at 8 months old, followed by 39.64% (n = 111) who weaned at 7 months old, 6.07% (n = 17) who weaned after 9 months, and 12.14% (n = 34) who weaned before 6 months old (Table 4). The research found that the mean age at weaning for Brazilian cow-calf operations was 7.4 months (median = 7; minimum = 3; maximum = 10). These findings align with Rasby\u0026rsquo;s (2007) data, which indicate that the typical weaning age ranges from 7 to 8 months. In the United States, the trend was similar: 33.70% of respondents weaned between 6 and 7 months (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020). However, early weaning (before 6 months) was more common in the United States (34.30%) compared to Brazil. The United States weans calves at a younger age, and has greater body weight gains and feed efficiency during the finishing period, allowing it to be the largest beef producer globally, followed by Brazil (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, 2022). Advancements in calf growth and finishing technology/infrastructure could allow Brazil to supplant other countries in the world ranking of beef produced.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe age at weaning is a critical factor for assessing the economic potential of cow-calf operations and can serve as a strategic tool for intensification (Rasby, 2007). The data from this research (Table 4) show that early weaning (before 5 months) is a management strategy that is rarely used in Brazil. Early weaning can result in reduced nutritional demands on cows, improving their body condition and thus increasing pregnancy rates during the subsequent breeding season (Myers et al., 1999; Nishimura et al., 2023). Nishimura et al. (2023) observed that in Nelore primiparous and multiparous cows, early weaning at 5 months resulted in greater cow body weights at conventional weaning (8 months of calf age; 541 kg vs. 493 kg), prepartum (551 kg vs. 506 kg), and during the breeding season after weaning (475 kg vs. 450 kg), compared to conventional weaning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotably, this research identified a high prevalence of hot-iron branding at calf weaning, with 73.10% of respondents (n = 205; Table 3) reporting its use. The practice was more common on large farms (Table 6, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value = 0.001) and differed significantly across regions (Table 8, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value = 0.004). The location of the branding varies from farm to farm. This method has traditionally been used in Brazil to identify cattle or assign them a unique ID number. In contrast, hot-iron branding is less common in the United States, where brucellosis vaccination is not mandatory (Olsen and Hennager, 2010). For instance, among the one-fourth of United States producers who used brucellosis vaccination, 26.10% opted for ear tags, while only 26.60% used hot-iron branding (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnimal welfare practices\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCow-calf operation farms implement various management practices that are essential for animal welfare. This research identified a high adoption rate of welfare practices in Brazilian cow-calf operations (Table 3). There was a significant association between the use of squeeze chutes (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.001), adoption of maternity pastures (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.000), and implementation of protocols for handling orphaned calves (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.008) with the total farm size, with larger farms reporting greater use of the respective practices (Table 6). However, adopting animal welfare practices during handling was not associated with farm size (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue = 0.734) (Table 6). For further details on the relationship between welfare practices and Brazilian regions, refer to Table 8.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the management practices, protocols for handling orphaned calves are particularly important. Orphaned calves are a common occurrence in cow-calf operations, often resulting from the death of the cow, insufficient milk production, or calf rejection (Briggs et al., 2023). It is essential for calf survival to implement practices to ensure the well-being and health of these animals. According to this survey, 89.64% (n = 251) of respondents reported implementing specific protocols for managing orphaned calves (Table 3). Medium-sized farms were more likely to use these protocols than small and large farms (Table 6). Among these practices, bottle-feeding calves to provide colostrum and milk until weaning was a common approach (Briggs et al., 2023). Respondents described using foster cows, artificial colostrum, milk supply, and creep feed until the calves were weaned.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn cow-calf operations, the success of rearing and feeding a calf from birth to weaning is heavily influenced by the maternal ability of the cow (Nevard et al., 2022). With this in mind, the adoption of maternity pastures facilitates the daily management tasks of cattlemen, such as rounding up animals, assisting with calving when necessary, providing basic care at birth, and performing postnatal identification procedures. These pastures are typically located closer to the farm employees\u0026rsquo; homes, or in central areas of the farm and near working facilities, allowing for more efficient management. Table 3 shows that 77.50% (n = 217) of respondents use maternity pastures in Brazilian cow-calf operations. This finding aligns with other data from the study, where most producers also perform essential practices like navel care (96.07%, n = 269), deworming (80.71%, n = 226), and evaluating both the cow and calf after birth (77.50%, n = 217) (Table 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdopting welfare practices in the corral is another critical aspect of improving farm routines and human-animal relationships. In this study, welfare practices in the corral refer specifically to low-stress cattle handling techniques, including the use of cattle flags (without ropes or wooden sticks), animal-welfare methods learned through training courses, moving animals quietly without horses or dogs, individualized sanitary management in the chute, and acclimating cattle to the working facilities. Hard work and worker stress can lead to accidents and injuries for workers and animals (Lindahl et al., 2013; Ceballos et al., 2018). This survey revealed that 81.07% (n = 227) of respondents incorporate welfare practices during the handling (Table 3). These techniques are most effective when combined with proper training for cattlemen to ensure positive human-animal interactions. In a study of 24 cow-calf operations in Brazil, Ceballos et al. (2018) reported that untrained workers demonstrated poorer handling quality and triggered more undesirable animal behaviors during handling (\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue \u0026lt; 0.05).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidering the peak of the cattle cycle in Brazil (2021\u0026ndash;2022), even with high calf prices, more than half of the respondents relied on activities other than cow-calf operations for family income and planned to increase their herd size. Despite favorable selling prices, very few producers conducted investment analysis. The main challenges reported included nutritional costs, labor laws, employee training, and maintaining adequate body condition in the herd.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmall farms often lease land to scale up operations and improve profitability. There was significant adoption of technical consulting and cattle financing to support production costs, investment needs, and family succession planning.While early weaning was uncommon among Brazilian farmers, animal welfare practices in handling facilities were widely implemented. The survey indicates that producers have favorable social conditions to improve financial and technical efficiency, offering valuable insights for producers, technical assistance providers, investors, banks, and agribusiness companies, and contributing to the development of public policies for cattle farming in Brazil.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFUNDING STATEMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors thank Funda\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de Amparo \u0026agrave; Pesquisa do Estado de S\u0026atilde;o Paulo (FAPESP, grant No. 2022/08449-6), Coordena\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de Aperfei\u0026ccedil;oamento de Pessoal de N\u0026iacute;vel Superior - Brazil (CAPES, Finance Code 001), and Brazilian magazine\u0026rsquo;s (\u003cem\u003ePortal da DBO\u003c/em\u003e) contribution in disseminating this research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOMPETING INTERESTS\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare there are no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUTHOR CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eV.T.L.R.: project administration, conceptualization, formal analysis, methodology, writing \u0026ndash; original draft, review \u0026amp; editing. O. A. O. R.: conceptualization and methodology. A.M. G. D.: formal analysis and writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing. M.S. P. C.: formal analysis and writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing. G. P.: formal analysis and writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing. J. C. C. B.: formal analysis and writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing. C. R. D.: writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing. A. H. G.: conceptualization and writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing. R. S. G.: conceptualization, supervision, formal analysis, methodology, funding acquisition, and writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData generated or analyzed during this study are provided in full within the published article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eETHICS APPROVAL\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll procedures used for this survey were approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research of the School of Animal Science and Food Engineering and \u003cem\u003ePlataforma Brasil\u003c/em\u003e (approved on 03/24/2022; report number: 5.310.709; Certificate of Ethical Approval number: 54068721.4.0000.5422). Informed consent was obtained from all participants before their involvement in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCONSENT TO PARTICIPATE\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlhas-Eroglu N (2022) Does specialization matter for technical efficiency in beef cattle farming? Trop Anim Health Prod 55:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-022-03416-z\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnualpec (2021) Anu\u0026aacute;rio da Pecu\u0026aacute;ria Brasileira. IHS Markit Agribusiness Brazil Ltda, Instituto FNP, S\u0026atilde;o Paulo\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBaruselli PS, Abreu LAD, Catussi BLC et al (2021) Mitos e realidades sobre a insemina\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o artificial em tempo fixo (IATF) em bovinos de corte. Rev Bras Reprod Anim 45:625\u0026ndash;646. https://doi.org/10.21451/1809-3000.RBRA2021.083\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeef Cattle Research Council (2019) Adoption Rates of Recommended Practices by Cow-Calf Operators in Canada. Canfax Research Services, Calgary\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (2022) Beef Report 2022. http://abiec.com.br/publicacoes/beef-report-2022/. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (2023) Beef Report 2023. http://abiec.com.br/publicacoes/beef-report-2023/. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (2024) Beef Report 2024. https://www.abiec.com.br/en/publicacoes/beef-report-2024-brazilian-beef-profile/. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBriggs R, Barsnick K, Reid C, Longmore A (2023) Raising a Bottle-Fed Calf on a Cow/Calf Operation. Utah State University Extension, pp 1-4\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurns BM, Fordyce G, Holroyd RG (2010) A review of factors that impact on the capacity of beef cattle females to conceive, maintain a pregnancy and wean a calf\u0026mdash;Implications for reproductive efficiency in northern Australia. Anim Reprod Sci 122:1\u0026ndash;22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2010.04.010\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCeballos MC, Sant\u0026rsquo;Anna AC, Boivin X et al (2018) Impact of good practices of handling training on beef cattle welfare and stockpeople attitudes and behaviors. Livest Sci 216:24\u0026ndash;31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.06.019\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCenter for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (2023) Consulta online para s\u0026eacute;rie de pre\u0026ccedil;os. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz. https://www.cepea.esalq.usp.br. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCruz RS, Barbieri ID, Olmos VM et al (2022) Effect of temporary weaning and creep feeding on calf growth and the reproductive efficiency of their Hereford dams. Anim Biosci 35:1524\u0026ndash;1534. https://doi.org/10.5713/ab.21.0384\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDahlen CR, Hadrich JC, Lardy GP (2014) The North Dakota Beef Industry Survey: Implications for Extension. J Ext 52(6):6RIB7\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDill MD, Pereira GR, Costa JBG et al (2015) Technologies that affect the weaning rate in beef cattle production systems. Trop Anim Health Prod 47:1255\u0026ndash;1260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0856-x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiskin MG, Kenny DA (2014) Optimising reproductive performance of beef cows and replacement heifers. Animal 8:27\u0026ndash;39. https://doi.org/10.1017/S175173111400086X\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDurst PT, Moore SJ, Ritter C, Barkema HW (2018) Evaluation by employees of employee management on large US dairy farms. J Dairy Sci 101:7450\u0026ndash;7462. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-14592\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHess BW, Lake SL, Scholljegerdes EJ et al (2005) Nutritional controls of beef cow reproduction. J Anim Sci 83:E90\u0026ndash;E106. https://doi.org/10.2527/2005.8313_supplE90x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInwood SM, Sharp JS (2012) Farm persistence and adaptation at the rural\u0026ndash;urban interface: Succession and farm adjustment. J Rural Stud 28:107\u0026ndash;117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2011.07.005\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJelinski M, Bergen R, Grant B, Waldner C (2019) Adoption of technology and management practices by Canadian cow-calf producers. Can Vet J 60:287\u0026ndash;293\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJ\u0026uacute;nior AMT, Fabbr FLJF, Oliveira AP et al (2024) Relat\u0026oacute;rio de Terras. Scot Consultoria. ISSN 2447-0031. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLindahl C, Lundqvist P, Hagevoort GR et al (2013) Occupational Health and Safety Aspects of Animal Handling in Dairy Production. J Agromedicine 18:274\u0026ndash;283. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2013.796906\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLinnell P (2024) Charting the Course for the Cattle Cycle. Angus Beef Bulletin. https://www.angus.org/angus-media/angus-beef-bulletin/abb-articles/2024/06/charting-the-course-for-the-cattle-cycle. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMalanski PD, Ingrand S, Hostiou N (2019) A new framework to analyze changes in work organization for permanent employees on livestock farms. Agron Sustain Dev 39(12):1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-019-0557-3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeat \u0026amp; Livestock Australia (2020) Beef cattle survey. https://www.mla.com.au/prices-markets/Trends-analysis/cattle-projections/beef-survey/#. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMihailova M (2022) Relationship between rent prices and agricultural land prices. Bulg J Agric Sci 28:26\u0026ndash;35\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMundlak Y, Huang H (1996) International Comparisons of Cattle Cycles. Am J Agric Econ 78:855\u0026ndash;868. https://doi.org/10.2307/1243843\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMyers SE, Faulkner DB, Ireland FA, Parrett DF (1999) Comparison of three weaning ages on cow-calf performance and steer carcass traits. J Anim Sci 77:323. https://doi.org/10.2527/1999.772323x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNevard RP, Pant SD, Broster JC et al (2022) Maternal Behavior in Beef Cattle: The Physiology, Assessment and Future Directions\u0026mdash;A Review. Vet Sci 10:10. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010010\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNishimura TK, Da Silva AG, Abitante G et al (2023) Effects of early weaning on the reproductive performance of suckled Nelore cows in the subsequent breeding season. J Anim Sci 101:skad330. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad330\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOjeda-Rojas OA, Bustos-Coral D, Sartorello GL et al (2022) An agent-based simulation model to compare different reproductive strategies in cow-calf operations: Economic performance. Theriogenology 189:11\u0026ndash;19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.06.002\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOlsen SC, Hennager SG (2010) Immune Responses and Protection against Experimental Brucella suis Biovar 1 Challenge in Nonvaccinated or B. abortus Strain RB51-Vaccinated Cattle. Clin Vaccine Immunol 17:1891\u0026ndash;1895. https://doi.org/10.1128/CVI.00326-10\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeacock FM, Koger M, Kirk WG et al (1971) Reproduction in Brahman, Shorthorn and Crossbred Cows on Different Pasture Programs. J Anim Sci 33:458\u0026ndash;465. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1971.332458x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeterson CA, Deiss L, Gaudin ACM (2020) Commercial integrated crop-livestock systems achieve comparable crop yields to specialized production systems: A meta-analysis. PLoS One 15(5):1-25. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231840\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePires AV (2010) Bovinocultura de Corte. FEALQ, Piracicaba\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRasby R (2007) Early Weaning Beef Calves. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 23:29\u0026ndash;40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2007.01.002\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSemchechem R, P\u0026eacute;rtile SFN, Simonelli SM et al (2021) Relationship among productive and economic variables of beef cattle in Brazil. Cienc Rural 51:e20190841. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20190841\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSottomayor M, Tranter R, Costa L (2011) Likelihood of Succession and Producers\u0026rsquo; Attitudes towards their Future Behaviour: Evidence from a Survey in Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal. Int J Sociol Agric Food 18:121-133. https://doi.org/10.48416/ijsaf.v18i2.250\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStatistics Canada (2016) Census of Agriculture. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/ca2016. Accessed 19 Dec 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSugiarto M, Mastuti S, Khaerudin, Gayatri S (2020) Optimization of Producers Working Hours through Increasing the Farm Size of Beef Cattle Production in Rural Area. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci 518:012027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/518/1/012027\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTorstenson WL, Tess MV, Knight JE (2002) Elk management strategies and profitability of beef cattle ranches. J Range Manage 55(2):117-126. https://doi.org/10.2307/4003\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTurner BL, Rhoades RD, Tedeschi LO et al (2013) Analyzing ranch profitability from varying cow sales and heifer replacement rates for cow-calf operation using system dynamics. Agric Syst 114:6\u0026ndash;14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2012.07.009\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eU.S. Department of Agriculture (2020) Beef 2017, \u0026ldquo;Cow-calf Management Practices in the United States, 2017, report 1\u0026quot;. USDA\u0026ndash;APHIS\u0026ndash;VS\u0026ndash;CEAH\u0026ndash;NAHMS, Fort Collins\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVendramini JMB, Sanchez JMD, Cooke RF et al (2015) Stocking rate and monensin supplemental level effects on growth performance of beef cattle consuming warm-season grasses. J Anim Sci 93:3682\u0026ndash;3689. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-8913\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWestern Beef (2018) 2nd Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey. http://westernbeef.org/wcccs.htm. Accessed 19 Dec 2024\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable 2. Measures of central tendency of general descriptions of the farm in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMedian\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMinimum\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMaximum\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"7\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGeneral descriptions of the farm\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Total farm area, ha\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e250\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3,292\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e890\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38,348\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Cow-calf production area, ha\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e250\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1,667\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Leased area\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e, ha\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e352\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Number of corrals\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1,5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Duration of cow-calf operations (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"7\" valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHead inventory (cattle and equids)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Total cattle (male and female), n\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2,612\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e929\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32,770\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Calves born, \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e237\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e971\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e350\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9,791\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Calves weaned, n\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e237\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e879\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e307\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7,671\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Equids, n\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e385\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMean land price in Brazil, $/ha \u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3,521\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3,324\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1,319\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8,930\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ea\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eOut of 280 farms, 48 respondents (17.14%) leased pastures to operate cow-calf business.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003eb\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003e5 respondents do not know the number of calves born.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ec\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eData from J\u0026uacute;nior et al. (2024), according to dollar values for pasture.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3. Frequency distribution and percentage of general descriptions of the farm, managerial and social aspects, animal management, and animal welfare practices in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercent\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eType of beef cattle production carried out in Brazil (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Only cow-calf operation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Cow-calf, stocker, and finishing operations\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Cow-calf and backgrounding operations\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Cow-calf and finishing operations\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrequency of choice of respondents about production systems in cow-calf operation (n =280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Conventional system (beef cattle only)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e217\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Integrated Crop and Livestock Systems*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Integrated Livestock-Forest Systems*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Integrated Crop, Livestock and Forest System*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Organic system (beef cattle only)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProducer\u0026rsquo;s intention regarding herd inventory (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Increase\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e172\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Maintain\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Reduce\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSocial and economic aspects (n\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Use of management tools (software, spreadsheets)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e196\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Use of technical consulting\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e180\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Use of cattle financing from a bank\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Relying exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrequency of choice of respondents regarding the use of economic analysis (n\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Profit (Total revenue - total expensive)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e220\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e78.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Revenue analysis (Total revenue)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e215\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Gross margin (Revenue - variable cost)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e154\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Investment analysis (Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Payback)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStructures of cow-calf operation (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Use of cattle chute at any moment during animal management\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e258\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e92.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Use of scale at any moment during animal management\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e257\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnimal management and welfare practices (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Use of specific management for orphaned calves\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e251\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Use of hot iron branding on calves at the time of weaning (males and females)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e205\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Adoption of animal welfare practices during handling\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e227\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Adoption of maternity pasture\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e217\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 97px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHandling the newborn calves (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Navel care\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e269\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e96.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Deworming\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e226\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Visual assessment of the cow and calf after birth\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e217\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Checking that the calf has suckled colostrum\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e197\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Administration of antibiotics as a preventative treatment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e115\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Weighing\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Injectable vitamin and mineral supplements\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 2px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* Animal and vegetal production in the same area.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 4. Frequency distribution and percentage of respondents who weaned calves in different months in Brazilian cow-calf operations during 2021. A total of 280 respondents were evaluated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv align=\"center\"\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge at weaning of calves, months\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercent\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e111\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e118\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 44px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 5. Frequency distribution and percentage of economic, social, managerial aspects and general descriptions of the farm in Brazilian cow-calf operations compared with total farm area using\u0026nbsp;Chi-Square Test.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 22px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSmall farm \u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMedium farm \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 22px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLarge farm \u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue \u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of lease areas for pastures (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e79.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.027\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of technical consulting (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e56.74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e86.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of cattle financing from a bank (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e57.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55.81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.886\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of management tools (n = 250)\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026Dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026le; 0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e57.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e87.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e86.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRelying exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e109\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e56.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.015\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ea\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eFarms up to 1,000 ha in total area (54.40%, n = 141/250).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003eb\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eFarms between 1,001 ha to 10,000 ha in total area (34.40%, n = 86/250).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ec\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eFarms between 10,001 to 38,348 ha in total area (9.20%, n = 23/250).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* The percent was considered by column.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eValues less than 0.05 were considered significant.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026Dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eManagement tools were considered to use software and spreadsheets.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 6. Frequency distribution and percentage of animal management and animal welfare in Brazilian cow-calf operations compared with total farm area using Chi-Square Test.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSmall farm \u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 28px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMedium farm \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 24px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLarge farm \u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e value \u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of squeeze chute (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.014\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e97.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of scales (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e126\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e98.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdoption of animal welfare practices during handling (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.77\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.734\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e113\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdoption of maternity pasture (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of hot iron branding at the time of weaning (n = 250)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64.54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"8\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of management for orphaned calf (n = 250)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e121\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e97.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ea\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eFarms up to 1,000 ha in total area (54.40%, n = 141/250).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003eb\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eFarms between 1,001 ha to 10,000 ha in total area (34.40%, n = 86/250).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ec\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eFarms between 10,001 to 38,348 ha in total area (9.20%, n = 23/250).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* The percent was considered by column.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eValues less than 0.05 were considered significant.\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 7. Frequency distribution and percentage of economic, social, managerial aspects and general descriptions of the farm in Brazilian cow-calf operations among different geographic regions in Brazil.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMidwest \u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNortheast \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNorth \u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSoutheast \u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSouth \u003csup\u003ee\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue \u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of lease areas for pastures (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e90.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e97.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of technical consulting (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.019\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of cattle finance (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e58.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.141\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e49.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of management tools (n = 280)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026Dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e56.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRelying exclusively on cow-calf operations for family income (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.050\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ea\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eMidwest represents of 33.93% (n=95/280) of data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003eb\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eSoutheast represents of 25.71% (n = 72/280) of data.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ec\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eSouth represents of 14.64% (n = 41/280) of data.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ed\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eNorth represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ee\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eNortheast represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* The percent was considered by column.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eValues less than 0.05 were considered significant.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026Dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e Management tools were considered to use software and spreadsheets.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 8. Frequency distribution and percentage of animal management and welfare in Brazilian cow-calf operations among different geographic regions in Brazil compared using\u0026nbsp;Chi-Square Test.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMidwest \u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNortheast \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNorth \u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSoutheast \u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSouth \u003csup\u003ee\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003evalue \u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of the squeeze chute (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.018\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e97.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e94.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of scales (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.101\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e94.74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdoption of animal welfare practices in the corral (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e36.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.015\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e84.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e94.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e63.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e82.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of maternity pasture (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of hot iron branding fire at the time of weaning (n = 280)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e56.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"12\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUse of management for orphaned calf (n = 280)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; Yes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e96.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e86.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e90.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ea\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eMidwest represents of 33.93% (n=95/280) of data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003eb\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eSoutheast represents of 25.71% (n = 72/280) of data.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ec\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eSouth represents of 14.64% (n = 41/280) of data.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ed\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eNorth represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003ee\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eNortheast represents of 12.86% (n = 36/280) of data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* The percent was considered by column.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026dagger;\u003c/sup\u003e Values less than 0.05 were considered significant.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"tropical-animal-health-and-production","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"trop","sideBox":"Learn more about [Tropical Animal Health and Production](https://www.springer.com/journal/11250)","snPcode":"11250","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11250/3","title":"Tropical Animal Health and Production","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"farm, producers, practices, questionnaire","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407904/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407904/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe beef cattle industry in Brazil has historically lacked data on management practices incorporated in cow-calf operations. This survey aimed to obtain a national overview of cow-calf operations in Brazil, reporting the general descriptions of the farm, such as economic, social, animal management, and welfare practices. Data were collected from 280 farms via an online questionnaire from August 2022 to August 2023. More than half of the respondents (56.40%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;141) were from farms with up to 1,000 ha in total area. The main challenges faced were high nutritional input costs (26%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;73) and labor laws (22%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;61). Only 30.36% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;85) relied solely on cow-calf operations for family income. Over 70% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;196) utilized management tools such as spreadsheets or software, while 19.28% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;54) conducted investment analysis. A majority (64.29%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;180) planned for family succession. The survey revealed widespread adoption of welfare practices in cattle handling (81.07%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;227). The average weaning age of calves was 7.4 months, with limited use of early weaning. Overall, the survey suggests that respondents engage in technical consulting, utilize cattle financing, and implement family succession planning to enhance the financial and technical efficiency of their operations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"An overview of economic, managerial, social aspects, animal management, and welfare practices on cow-calf operations: a national survey in Brazil","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-12 16:42:08","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407904/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2026-03-19T05:01:27+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-08T16:09:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-31T18:09:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Tropical Animal Health and Production","date":"2026-01-29T07:08:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"tropical-animal-health-and-production","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"trop","sideBox":"Learn more about [Tropical Animal Health and Production](https://www.springer.com/journal/11250)","snPcode":"11250","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11250/3","title":"Tropical Animal Health and Production","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c9821288-e7be-4f8f-bc5a-770147e7fb1c","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 12th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-12T16:42:09+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-12 16:42:08","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8407904","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8407904","identity":"rs-8407904","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}