Animal Sciences: Business/Production
Resources

Animal and poultry science at Virginia Tech highlights resources most commonly used by those studying the following aspects of animal and poultry sciences: husbandry, management, nutrition, behavior, genetics, and reproduction.

[Image used under a CC0 license from Pixabay.com]

Business/Industry aspects of Animal Science

Knowing what is going on in the industry/business sector is an important part of animal science. The sources listed here are starting points to find current prices on livestock as outputs, as well as costs of inputs (feedstuffs).

National Associations

There are several associations across each animal production system, as well as certain breed associations. Below are just a few examples of associations at the National level to provide ideas of groups you may want to contact regarding business and production topics:

Cattle - Beef
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association
- United States Cattlemen's Association
Cattle - Dairy
Goat
- American Goat Federation
- American Goat Society
Horses/Equine
- American Horse Council
- United States Equestrian
Pigs/Swine
- National Port Producers Council
- National Swine Registry
Poultry Producers
- American Poultry Association
- United States Poultry & Egg Association
Sheep
- American Sheep Industry Association

Virginia Extension Publications

Cooperative Extension also provides several documents regarding a variety of aspects related to animal production. Below are examples for Virginia, though other states will have similar publications as well. Check with your local Extension Agent/Office for more information.

A full list of other publications is available at https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/index.html

Business Databases

In addition to the databases listed on the Overview page, a few key business databases that cover aspects of livestock production, trade publications, and industry outlooks include:

Business Source Complete from EBSCOhost Business Source Complete is a citation, abstracts, and full-text database that indexes journals; books; financial data; reference works; conference proceedings; company, industry, investment, marketing, and country reports; SWOT analyses; and case studies. Full text is provides as HTML and PDF. You can limit to peer-reviewed sources. 1886-present; most content is 1980s-present.
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IBISWorld IBISWorld provides 3 types of business reports: Industry Market Research: Reports (PDF) on over 700 US industries arranged by 5-digit NAICS code, typically 25-50 pages in length with executive summaries, updated regularly; Business Environment: Data and analysis (PDF and Word) on 200+ economic and demographic statistics, around 300 key business environment indicators; and Specialized Industry Reports of over 600 titles also arranged by NAICS code that contain the same chapters and format as the Core US Industry Reports, but encompass niche and emerging industries with a focus on technology, healthcare, consumer goods, and other fast-growing sectors.
IBISWorld provides a comprehensive collection of industry market research reports. Industry Research Reports are powerful business tools that provide strategic insight and analysis on over 700 U.S. industries. Each industry report is written at the 5-digit NAICS level - an unparalleled degree of detail. The reports are updated frequently, which gives you the confidence to make accurate and speedy business decisions.
Each report includes 9 chapters, and 34 sub-chapters that provide insight into current and forecast industry performance, changing trends, operating conditions and supply chain linkages.

Every industry faces a set of variables outside its control that have a material effect on industry performance. These factors, which include exchange rates, commodity prices, consumer attitudes, weather conditions, government policies among others are covered by our extensive range of business environment reports. Understanding these factors makes it easier to predict trends for your business and competitors.

So, what are the key factors outside the control of your organisation that determine the performance of your industry? Find out in our brief summaries within our industry research reports, or use our business environment reports as a supplement to acquire a deeper understanding of these trends. Our two-to-three-page business environment reports provide insights into all the demographic, environmental and business trends that you can’t afford to ignore.

Additional business databases can be found at:

https://guides.lib.vt.edu/subject-guides/bus

State Associations

There are several associations at the state level across each animal production system. Below are just a few examples of associations for the state of Virginia, check with other states to see if they have one at that level. There are also several local clubs and associations, most of which can be found by contacting your local Extension Agent/Office.

Cattle - Beef
- Virginia Cattleman's Association
Cattle - Dairy
- Virginia State Dairymen's Association
Goat
- Virginia State Dairy Goat Association, Inc.
- Southern Virginia Meat Goat Association
Horses/Equine
- Virginia Horse Council
- Virginia Horse Show Association, Inc.
Pigs/Swine
- Virginia Pork Council
Poultry
- Virginia Poultry Federation
Sheep
- Virginia Sheep Producers Association