Setting up an on-farm field trial for producers

Animal health and performance research trials are commonly performed to evaluate ways to improve production efficiency and well-being. The objective will be to highlight how to set up research projects in the field. The research objective estab­lishes the groundwork for the rest of the trial. When selecting which animals to use for the study, the main considerations are the population of animals which a person wants to apply the re­sults. Randomization is a critical part of the research process to make sure the treatment groups are similar at the beginning of the study. Develop a protocol which outlines all the procedures performed and data collected during the study. A 1-2 page sum­mary is sufficient to explain all the concepts for a field study. The most important part of conducting the study is to follow the protocol developed. You need to ensure all data collected are accurate. The reason for conducting the research is to apply the results in the field to make a difference. Before applying, con­sider the production system where the study was performed, and the study population to determine if results will apply in different production systems. Conducting research in the field can provide valuable insight on which practices impact out­comes of interest.