In this study we evaluate the preferences of cattle producers in Manitoba, Canada, for different cattle characteristics using the conjoint analysis methodology. Preferences are estimated for three different segments of the cattle production system: purebred breeders, commercial cow-calf producers, and cattle feeders. Data were collected for steers and bulls via a mail survey in 1993. Here we provide relative valuation for the different characteristics by segment of the cattle sector. Evidence is provided that different segments of the cattle sector do not value characteristics the same. For example, purebred breeders have higher preferences for reproduction traits, while feedlot operators give higher values to commercial attributes such as heavy slaughter weight and carcass yield. The different valuations of characteristics across segments of the cattle sector suggest that signals regarding preferences may be noisy. As a result, it might be difficult to design some breed improvement programs to be broadly acceptable, if they have differential benefits to the different segments of producers, when using standard profit-oriented selection indices. Copyright 1997, Oxford University Press.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.