Estimating Desirable Cattle Traits Using Latent Class and Mixed Logit Models: A Choice Modeling Application to the U.S. Grass-Fed Beef Industry

This study examines preferences for cattle traits using mixed logit and latent class models. Choice experiment data from a 2013 mail survey of 1,052 U.S. grass-fed beef producers were used. Preliminary results indicate that producers prefer lower-priced, heavy, black, and easy-to-handle feeders backgrounded from their own cows.