ecology - modern farming methods Flashcards
how to improve the efficiency of food production in farming?
- intensive/factory farming can be
what are free range chickens able to do?
problem with free range chickens?
a) move as much as they want to. provided with food but can find own (insects)
b) a lot of biomass that chickens eat is used for respiration to provide energy for movement. also because their outdoors where it can be cold, energy is needed to keep body temperature constant. less biomass available for chickens to grow + produce eggs. (same issues for other outdoor animals such as cows + sheep)
In 1960s, what did farms in UK move towards?
intensive farming/factory farming
what is intensive farming/ factory farming of chickens?
- raised inside a temperature-controlled shed. space is limited restricting their movement. Because their movement is restricted and kept in warm conditions, less biomass wasted.
- fed high protein diet
- because of these reasons chickens produce more eggs + grow faster than free-range chickens
(same for cows)
factory farming methods advantages + disadvantages
advantages:
- more efficient as less biomass wasted by animals in respiration
- control food animals eat so it will contain nutrients they need and less food wasted
- (in case of chickens) eggs can be more easily harvested if checks are kept indoors
disadvantages:
- infectious diseases can spread more easily to prevent this animals in factory farms treated with antibiotics (mostly). may increase risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria
- stressed + more likely to fight in crowded conditions
what are the ethical conditions to factory farming?
- think animals should be raised in natural conditions + be able to engage in normal behaviour
(example, free range chickens forage for insects in the soil whereas indoor chickens cannot do this) - natural behaviour will increase animals’ welfare for example reducing stress
