Table 1.
Comparison of survey respondents in the study to the overall Ontario, Canada dairy industry (complied from a variety of sources) by personnel and farm-level demographic characteristics.
| Item | Study population (n = 226), no. (%) | Ontario, Canada dairy industry (n = 3,367a), no. (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (yr)b* | ||
| <30 | 45 (19.9) | 340 (8.6) |
| 30–39 | 65 (28.8) | 621 (15.7) |
| 40–49 | 47 (20.8) | 1,182 (29.9) |
| 50–59 | 47 (20.8) | 1,115 (28.2) |
| ≥60 | 22 (9.7) | 696 (17.6) |
| Genderc** | ||
| He/him | 154 (68.1) | 5,740 (63.8) |
| She/her | 68 (30.1) | 3,250 (36.2) |
| They/them | 3 (1.3) | |
| Educationc | ||
| Elementary school | 10 (4.4) | 1,240 (22.0) |
| Secondary school | 46 (20.4) | 1,690 (30.0) |
| Apprenticeship, professional degree | 6 (2.5) | 250 (4.4) |
| College, CEGEP | 90 (39.7) | 1,785 (31.7) |
| University, postgraduate degree | 75 (33.0) | 660 (11.7) |
| Organic statusd | ||
| Yes | 7 (3.0) | 82 (2.6) |
| No | 199 (88.1) | 3,285 (97.4) |
| Lactating herd sizee | ||
| Mean | 123.0 | 78.0 |
| SD | 132.0 | |
| 305 d milk yieldf | ||
| Mean | 10, 729.6 | 12, 582 |
| SD | 2,003.7 | |
| Breed***g | ||
| Holstein | 203 (89.8) | (94.6) |
| Jersey | 35 (15.5) | (4.2) |
| Other | 29 (12.8) | (2.2) |
| Housingh | ||
| Tiestall | 57 (25.2) | 1,314 (67.2) |
| Freestall | 141 (62.4) | 642 (32.8) |
| Pack | 8 (3.5) | |
| Milking systemi | ||
| Pipeline | 59 (26.1) | 1,314 (67.2) |
| Parlor | 93 (41.2) | 495 (25.3) |
| Robotic milking system | 53 (23.5) | 147 (7.5) |
Canadian Dairy Information Center, Government of Canada, 2020.
Demographic changes in Canadian Agriculture, Statistics Canada, 2011.
Age no. calculated using national values multiplied by proportion of dairy farms of Canada located in Ontario.
Data tables, 2016 Census. Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada reports only binary sex - not gender identification.
Socioeconomic overview of the farm population. Dairy cattle and milk production. Ontario. Statistics Canada. 2018.
Canadian Dairy Information Center, Government of Canada.
Lactanet, 2021.
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Breeds Given by number of farms with each breed within their herd. Each farm may be composed of more than one breed of cattle.
Canadian Dairy Information Centre, Government of Canada, 2020.
Canadian Dairy Information Centre, Government of Canada, 2020.