Structural Characteristics of Cattle Enterprises in Horasan County of Erzurum Province: Farm Management Practices

Authors : Musa Bastem, Mete Yanar

Pages : 103-113

Doi:10.46876/ja.1725987

View : 84 | Download : 221

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study was conducted to evaluate farm management practices on 500 cattle farms in Horasan County, Erzurum Province. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys with farm owners and analyzed using the Chi-square test. Results showed that 93% of breeders did not keep regular production records, while only 7% maintained such records. Farm size significantly influenced record-keeping practices (P < 0.05), with larger enterprises more likely to keep records. In addition, 61% of farm owners reported receiving technical support related to cattle breeding. The rate of artificial insemination was found to be very low (5.6%), while hand-mating (45.4%) and pasture-mating (49.0%) were the most common practices. Regarding reproductive management, 51.9% of farmers reported inseminating cows when they came into heat on pasture. Moreover, 29.0% inseminated at the first estrus after calving, 18.7% at the second estrus, and only 0.4% at the third estrus. Preventive health measures were also limited: only 3.0% of farms applied septicemia vaccination to cows during the last two months of pregnancy, and 40.0% administered septicemia serum to newborn calves. In conclusion, it was recommended that the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry organize technical training courses and encourage breeder participation. Such programs should focus on modern cattle-rearing practices, including accurate record-keeping, optimal timing of postpartum insemination, appropriate age for first insemination, and proper timing for drying off cows.
Keywords : Cattle, Erzurum, Farm management, Horasan county, Structural characteristics

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