Arkansas - Agricultural Communication Services - University of ...

INTRODUCTION
The faculty and staff of the Animal Science Program are pleased to present the fourth edition of the Arkansas Animal
Science Department Report.
By the time this is published, construction of our new swine finishing facilities should be completed and the facility
filled with new pigs. This facility, provided through state appropriated funds, greatly expands our total program in swine management
including emphasis on environmental issues.
Development of new pasture systems for the forage research area and the equine unit has resulted in an attractive setting
for the north entrance to the campus. Reaction from the community and alumni has been most positive. A quality herd of
brood mares and a stallion has been assembled through donations during the past year. Student interest has been high as projected.
Extension and service programs in both youth and adult education were expanded to meet the increased demand for
equine education. The department continues to develop new courses and adjust the curriculum to meet an increasingly nontraditional
student base.
Distance education took on added importance. A graduate course in Advanced Livestock Management was taught via
compressed interactive video by faculty from the campus and also from the Southwest Research and Extension Center in
Hope. Students from these two locations, as well as students from Little Rock and Batesville, took the class. In Fall 2001 for
the first time, a senior beef production course will be taught via compressed interactive video to students on the campus and
at one or more Research and Extension Centers in the state. The lead instructor will be an Animal Science faculty member at
the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope.
Animal Science Extension programs are broad-based and include beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, forages and grazing
management and 4-H youth activities. The Arkansas Beef Improvement Program uses an integrated resource management
team approach to enhance the efficiency and profitability of cattle producers. The Feedout Program provided a method for
cow-calf producers to obtain feedlot and carcass data. With the assistance of the Livestock Market Reporters, livestock auction
data were collected to determine factors affecting the selling price of feeder cattle. The Beef Quality Assurance Program
addressed management factors that affect the quality of the cattle producers’ product. The overall goal of the program is to
encourage the consistent production of high quality cattle.
Extension programs helped dairy producers and the related industry to identify areas needing improvement to enhance
production efficiency. Producers were assisted with integrating management practices such as waste management, sire selection,
nutrition, reproductive management, and financial management to increase profitability.
Forage and grazing management are extremely important components of any grazing livestock system. Arkansas
Grazing Schools were designed to teach management options to improve efficiency of forage utilization. Forage demonstrations
included using stockpiled forages to reduce hay feeding and improving pasture quality and quantity through pasture renovation.
4-H livestock programs are a very important educational effort of Animal Science. Over 8,000 youth enrolled in beef,
dairy, sheep, swine and horse 4-H programs. These programs teach lifetime skills in the areas of animal and veterinary science
through demonstrations, livestock judging and exhibition of animals at county, district and state levels.
We are committed to ensuring that our programs in research, teaching and extension are effectively meeting the needs
of the Arkansas livestock industry.
Sincerely,
Keith Lusby
Department Head
Tom Troxel
Section Leader