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Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

2013

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Animal Science

First Advisor

Robbi H. Pritchard

Keywords

cattle handling, personality type, behavior, feedlot

Abstract

Handling cattle can be dangerous and requires a skilled stockman to respond appropriately to cattle behaviors. This study created exercises to observe human-cattle interactions and a scoring system for cattle handling proficiency to determine the effect of personality type on cattle behavioral responses. The personality type of 12 handlers was classified using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Virtues in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS). Three exercises were created with different purposes. Exercise 1 asked handlers to encroach on the flight zone of the steers. Exercise 2 asked handlers to manipulate cattle from the edge of the flight zone. Exercise 3 required human-cattle interaction within the flight zone. CattleScore summed nine cattle behaviors to observe cattle responses to the handler. Handlers were evaluated by 4 qualified reviewers. CattleScore was analyzed as a completely randomized design. The model included fixed effects of personality type and exercise, and random effects of pen, reviewer, and all possible interactions. Auto-correlated cattle behaviors were removed from CattleScore to create AdjCattleScore. Exercise 1 was removed from analysis because it did not differentiate handlers. Exercises 2 and 3 differentiated handler personality types. To test the effect of personality type on cattle handling proficiency, data were analyzed as a randomized block design. The model included the fixed effect of personality type and the random effect of pen with personality type x pen used as the error term. Exercise 2 did not differentiate handlers within the MBTI personality types (P ≥ 0.20). Using Exercise 3, Introverts tended (P = 0.07) to have higher AdjCattleScores than Extraverts. With Exercises 2 and 3 summed, Introverts tended (P = 0.08) to have higher AdjCattleScores than Extraverts. Summing Exercises 2 and 3 explained the same portion of variance as Exercise 3. VIA-IS strength classifications did not differentiate (P ≥ 0.20) handlers using Exercise 2 or 3. AdjCattleScore may be a useful measure of cattle handling proficiency. Exercises 2 and 3 proved to be useful for observing human-cattle interactions to find differences in cattle handling proficiency levels of handlers.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Cattle -- Effect of human beings on.
Cattle -- Behavior
Human-animal relationships.
Feedlots.

Description

Includes bibliographical references.

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

108

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

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