module 4-what is intensive livestock production

Question 1

what is an intensive livestock production

Answer 1

Intensive livestock production systems operate on a high input-high output basis

Question 2

what drives intensive livestock production

Answer 2

The systems are market-driven and rely on high levels of animal productivity and efficiency

Question 3

what are the charicteristics of a intensive livestock production

Answer 3

(1) stringent control of the animals’ environment; (2) specialized feeding geared to maximize productivity with animals typically being fed well above maintenance requirements; (3) confinement of animals through all or most of their lives; (4) high levels of automation; (5) supplementation of diets with cereal grains; (6) implementation of biosecurity and disease prevention measures; and (7) the use of specially bred strains of livestock that have been genetically selected for maximum productivity

Question 4

in Canada what are some common intensively raised livestock

Answer 4

chickens, pigs and dairy cattle

Question 5

what are some major advantages to intensively raised livestock

Answer 5

minimization of costs and their ability to produce the large quantities of meat demanded by the world’s population

Question 6

what is a major concern in intensively managed operations

Answer 6

biosecurity

Question 7

why is biosecurity such a big concern in intensively managed facilities

Answer 7

The spread of disease through a densely populated facility occurs quickly and can result in the rapid decimation of the animal population within that facility or cause significant production setbacks that disrupt the set schedules for the operations

Question 8

what are some ways diseases can be transmitted from facility to facility

Answer 8

feed suppliers, veterinarians, personnel, transport vehicles, and other suppliers of goods and services move between them