Where's the beef? In Georgia, it walks around on 2.8 million hooves in every corner of the state's 159 counties. With the cattle that widely scattered, it's hard to know how well farmers manage their herds.

The Georgia Beef Project could change that.

"A survey starting this fall should help us find answers to some important questions about Georgia cattle," said Jim Strickland, a veterinarian with the University of Georgia Extension Service.

The survey is a joint effort of UGA and five other groups concerned with Georgia beef cattle.

"We want to give every cattle producer in Georgia the chance to put in his two cents' worth," Strickland said.

Georgia farmers have a lot at stake in their beef herds. Cattle sales brought them $285 million, or 5.3 percent of their income, in 1995.

The two-part survey will start with a short, simple questionnaire. Distributed in September through November, the form is for anyone who raises beef cattle in the state.

"The short form is really simple. It won't take 10 minutes to fill out. But it can give us a wealth of information," Strickland said.

"The survey forms will be available at cattlemen's meetings, livestock auction markets and field days," he said. "Cattlemen can also get it from their local vets or county agents."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the second part of the survey.

"A more extensive study next spring will survey a random sampling of about 325 producers," Strickland said. "That will include in-depth interviews and some cattle and feed samples."

The survey can help the state's farmers, said Joe Duckworth, president of the 6,200-member Georgia Cattlemen's Association.

"By helping with this survey, we can get a better handle on the herd health measures needed across Georgia," he said. "The survey can help improve the health and reputation of our cattle. And healthier calves will lead to better prices for Georgia cattle."

Strickland, an extension or practicing veterinarian for 34 years in Georgia, raises cattle himself. He said the survey, along with a much smaller USDA survey last year, should provide the best picture ever of Georgia beef cattle.

"If we want to do better in anything, we need to know where we are," he said. "These surveys will tell us where we are in Georgia cattle production."

Besides UGA Extension Service and College of Veterinary Medicine, the Cattlemen's Association, USDA Veterinary Services and NASS will help conduct the survey. The Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Veterinary Medical Association also support the effort.