The study determined the involvement of youths in cattle rearing at the rural community level using six
randomly selected communities in Oyo State in the South western part of Nigeria. Twenty – five youths
were randomly selected from each of these communities and interviewed. The study found that 68% of
the respondents who were involved in cattle rearing were males, 32% were females, while seventy three
percent (73%) were between 21 and 30 years. The most significant finding of this study is that 16% of
these youths possessed tertiary (that is, post secondary) education. These Nigerian youths perceived
cattle rearing as labour - intensive, non - mechanized and unattractive. Chi - square analysis showed
that there was no significant association between respondents’ age and cattle rearing (?
2 = 5.935, P >
0.05) while there was significant association between respondents’ educational status and cattle
rearing (?
2
= 35.042, P < 0.050). In view of this, it is recommended that the state government should give
maximum encouragement (in form of definitive cattle ranching and mechanization) to this small group
of literate youths involved in cattle rearing and encourage more of such to remain in the business
through motivational strategies.