Food Production & Efficiency

Question 1

List the self-sufficiency order of fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy/eggs and cereals.

Answer 1

1. Cereals
2. Dairy & eggs
3. Meat
4. Vegetables
5. Fruit

Question 2

Give some examples of arable-livestock link.

Answer 2

• By-products
• Substandard products
• Bedding
• Manure & slurry

Question 3

What is stratification?

Answer 3

Utilising different breed
characteristics and climate-
dependent husbandry types.

Question 4

How do you calculate gross margin (with examples for each element)?

Answer 4

Output (calf sales, premiums, subsidies) - variable costs (feed, forage, bedding, meds i.e. anything that changes with number of animals)

Question 5

What are some examples of fixed costs?

Answer 5

Rent / Interest
Rates
Utilities
Staff

Question 6

List the elements that influence biological
efficiency.

Answer 6

• Genetics
• Nutrition
• Reproductive efficiency
• Health management
• Environment
• Growth rates
• Metabolic efficiency

Question 7

What is biological efficiency?

Answer 7

How efficiently animals convert inputs (like feed, water, and resources) into outputs (such as meat, milk, eggs, or wool).

Question 8

What is ‘physiological age at birth’?

Answer 8

Refers to how developed the newborn of a species is at the time of birth.

Question 9

What two categories are there for the physiological age at birth of domestic species?

Answer 9

Precocial and altricial

Question 10

What are precocial species?

Answer 10

These animals are born relatively mature and mobile, with their eyes open, and can stand and walk shortly after birth. Examples include calves (cattle), foals (horses), and lambs (sheep). Precocial species tend to be more independent after birth.

Question 11

What are altricial species?

Answer 11

These are born in an undeveloped state, often hairless or with eyes closed, and are highly dependent on parental care. They cannot move or regulate their body temperature. Examples include puppies (dogs), kittens (cats), and piglets (pigs).

Question 12

Describe the difference between early and late growth in animal body composition.

Answer 12

Early growth focuses on muscle and bone development, while later growth shifts toward fat deposition as the animal matures. Animals with slower growth rates might have more lean tissue, while those that grow quickly can accumulate more fat.

Question 13

What influences the lactation curve?

Answer 13

• Breed
• Nutrition
• Health status
• Stage of lactation
• Management practices
• Hormonal status

Question 14

Describe the different approaches to an animal husbandry system when it comes to rearing early and late maturing beef cows.

Answer 14

Early - best suited for intensive systems where rapid fattening and earlier slaughter and desired.
Late - do well in extensive systems where they are grown more slowly and finished at heavier weights.

Question 15

What is DLWG?

Answer 15

Daily live weight gain

Question 16

When might restricted DLWG be desirable?

Answer 16

Finishing cattle - restricting DLWG towards the end of the finishing phase can help reduce excessive fat deposition, leading to a more desirable carcass composition for certain markets.
Heifers for Breeding - in young heifers, excessively rapid weight gain can lead to fat deposition in the reproductive tract, reducing fertility. Moderate, controlled growth rates (restricted DLWG) are often aimed for to ensure proper reproductive development.