Hawaii beef producer animal health and welfare certification training and impact evaluation

Abstract

In Hawaii, cattle production is among the top agricultural commodities; however, most of the cattle are sent to mainland feedlots for finishing. Along with rising transportation costs and the economic constraints of feed importation, the production of local, grass-finished beef is a viable alternative to shipping feeders to the mainland. Minimizing physiological and psychological stress of cattle is essential for finishing beef cattle in both traditional feedlots and grass-finishing systems; thus, Hawaii ranchers need to be educated on best health and welfare management practices. The purpose of this study was to: ( 1) develop workshops to educate Hawaii ranchers on best health and welfare management practices, (2) determine current knowledge and attitudes regarding health and welfare management practices, (3) use pre- and post-workshop questionnaires to determine whether workshops significantly improved ranchers' knowledge and attitudes, and ( 4) determine if proper health and welfare management practices are important to Hawaii ranchers.