Animal Production Environments PDF

THE PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT Chapter 4 Lecture 1 ANIG1624 Dr R. Grobler Introduction All over the world a wide spectrum of animal production systems exists These range from ‘traditional’ low-input management systems in remote rural areas to ‘modern’ intensive production...

THE PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT Chapter 4 Lecture 1 ANIG1624 Dr R. Grobler Introduction All over the world a wide spectrum of animal production systems exists These range from ‘traditional’ low-input management systems in remote rural areas to ‘modern’ intensive production units where hundreds of animals are kept for the sole purpose of producing food for sale Numerous variations exist between the two extremes (Traditional - Intensive)  Table 4.1 Comparison between ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ animal production Traditional Management Intensive Management Goal Minimization of risk Maximization of profit Means Integration e.g. agriculture and Specialization and animal production, keeping several automatization, e.g. chicken species, placing a few animals with farm, large dairy production neighbours Investments Low, optimizes investments rather High, maximizes production than production Breeds Mostly local multipurpose breeds Mostly high performance breeds Purpose of animal Food, fiber, fertilizer and fuel Production of food for sale production Cash income Draught power and transportation Buffer against crop failure and other risks Employment A way to access and use common property Effect on Sustainable use of vegetation and High use of energy, produce environment resources which have no other use large amounts of animal wastes Labour/capital Labour intensive Capital intensive Flexibility High Low Dependence on Low High inputs from outside Production systems Intensive Specialized facilities (housing, automated feeding) High capital inputs : size of unit Intensive feeding, well-formulated rations Pigs, poultry, cattle & sheep (dairy, feedlots) Close to markets Extensive Mostly large farming areas, low grazing capacity Lower input costs relative to size of unit More hectares / animal unit necessary for maintenance Mainly on veldt, supplementary feeding is required Cattle / sheep / goats Production systems Semi-intensive / Semi-extensive Medium to large farming units Quality of veld vary significantly between seasons Crop residues, planted pastures also used Require additional feeding to finish off / market animals Cattle / sheep Intensive production Agricultural system that aims to get maximum yield from the available land by keeping large number of livestock indoors It is carried out to meet the rising demand for cheap food and prevent future shortages Sustainable intensive farming, intensive aquaculture, intensive livestock production and management-intensive grazing fall under this farming category Intensive production This is in contrast to many sorts of traditional agriculture in which the inputs per unit land are lower With intensification, labor use typically goes up, unless, or until, it gets replaced by machines (energy inputs) at which point labour use can decrease dramatically Agricultural intensification has been the dominant response to population growth, as it allows for producing more food on the same amount of land Intensive production Advantages of intensive production Intensive agriculture has a number of benefits: a) Availability of food Significantly increased yield per acre, per person, and per GBP relative to extensive farming  food becomes more affordable to the consumer as it costs less to produce The same area of land is able to supply food and fibre for a larger population reducing the risk of starvation Intensive production Advantages of intensive production b) Animals kept together in groups Can monitor health easily (depending on quality of stockmanship) Feed all animals in one place Keep costs down Overall cost per animal is less Intensive production Advantages of intensive production c) Preservation The preservation of existing areas of woodland and rainforest habitats (and the ecosystems and other sustainable economies that these may harbour), which would need to be felled for extensive farming methods in the same geographical location This also leads to a reduction in anthropogenic CO2 generation (resulting from removal of the sequestration afforded by woodlands and rainforests) Intensive production Advantages of intensive production d) Recycling In the case of intensive livestock farming: there is an opportunity to capture methane emissions which would otherwise contribute to global warming Once captured, these emissions can be used to generate heat or electrical energy, thereby reducing local demand for fossil fuels Intensive production Disadvantages of intensive production a) Pollution and Conservation Limits or destroys the natural habitat of most wild creatures and leads to soil erosion Use of fertilizers can alter the biology of rivers and lakes Pesticides generally kill useful insects as well as those that destroy crops The chemicals used may leave the field as runoff eventually ending up in rivers and lakes or may drain into groundwater aquifers Intensive production Disadvantages of intensive production b) Animals kept together in groups Animals not in natural environment Smell and noise Need to have muck disposal systems Welfare compromised - lack of movement Disease can spread quickly Animals become stressed and can fight or get injured easier All food has to be brought in Intensive production Disadvantages of intensive production c) Sustainability It is often not sustainable if not properly managed - may result in desertification, or land that is so poisonous and eroded that nothing else will grow there Requires large amounts of energy input to produce, transport, and apply chemical fertilizers/pesticides Extensive production An agricultural production system that uses small inputs of labour, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed. Most commonly refers to sheep and cattle farming in areas with low agricultural productivity, but can also refer to large- scale growing of wheat, barley and other grain crops Here, owing to the extreme age and poverty of the soils, yields per hectare are very low, but the flat terrain and very large farm sizes mean yields per unit of labour are high Nomadic herding is an extreme example of extensive farming, where herders move their animals to use feed from occasional rainfalls Extensive production There are some cases where animals can be part intensive and extensively farmed E.g. a sheep may spend the majority of its time outdoors but will be brought indoors and intensively farmed during lambing season. Extensive farming is found in the mid-latitude sections of most continents, as well as in desert regions where water for cropping is not available. The nature of extensive farming means it requires less rainfall than intensive farming. The farm is usually large in comparison with the numbers working and money spent on it. In many parts, pastures are so poor that only one sheep to the square mile can be supported. Extensive production Advantages of extensive production Extensive farming has a number of advantages: Less labour per unit areas is required to farm large areas, especially since expensive alterations to land (like terracing) are completely absent Mechanization can be used more effectively over large, flat areas Greater efficiency of labour means generally lower product prices Animal welfare is generally improved because animals are not kept in stifling conditions Extensive production Advantages of extensive production Lower requirements of inputs such as fertilizers If animals are grazed on pastures native to the locality, there is less likely to be problems with exotic species Local environment and soil are not damaged by overuse of chemicals Extensive production Disadvantages of extensive production Yields tend to be much lower than with intensive farming in the short term Large land requirements limit the habitat of wild species (in some cases, even very low stocking rates can be dangerous), as is the case with intensive farming Take longer to feed due to distances and space (if additional feed is required, i.e. during winter) Take longer to check all the animals Free range production A method of farming/husbandry where the animals can roam freely for food, rather than being confined in an enclosure Free range systems usually offer the opportunity for extensive locomotion and sunlight prevented by indoor housing systems Free range may apply to meat, eggs or dairy farming In ranching, free-range livestock are permitted to roam without being fenced in, as opposed to fenced-in pastures In many of the agriculture-based economies, free-range livestock are quite common Free range production An increasing number of people are questioning the origins of their food  free-range and organic markets are growing An increasing number of people are asking questions about the food they buy Where does it come from and how has it been produced? How healthy is it really? Does it contain antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides or fertilizers? How much abuse and suffering have animals had to endure for us to have food on our plates? Free range production Free range poultry A behavioural definition of free range is perhaps the most useful: “chickens kept with a fence that restricts their movements very little” The driving force behind free-range poultry production operating at a commercial level, is consumers who are willing to pay more for products with perceived high welfare standards Free range production Free range poultry Identifying authentic free-range and organic produce in South Africa can be tricky for consumers  There is no official legislation in place for free-range or organic farming in South Africa Free-range as a poultry concept, is not currently fully covered by law in South Africa. There is a limited form of control through the current egg packing regulations Free range production Advantages of free range poultry Potential higher value of products Have to identify a market Consumers are price conscious Low input costs Free range production Disadvantages of free range poultry Production numbers will be lower for both meat and eggs The maintenance energy and nutrient requirements and of the chicken will be higher High rate of egg losses occur in free-range systems Eggs are lost due to breakages and faecal contamination Higher mortality rate Caused by higher exposure to environmental pathogens and suboptimal environmental conditions, especially in terms of temperature