Animal Husbandry: The Period 1973-1995

In the last decade the intensification of the pig and poultry industries has continued with increases in production unit size and in efficiency. This has come about as a response to rising costs, competition and reasonable end-product prices. The dairy industry has also expanded output through increasing milk yield per cow, encouraged by favourable market support. However, efficiency of feed conversion to milk production is still not directly selected for in dairy cattle. Developments in beef cattle have been away from intensive systems of production in an effort to reduce capital expenditure and increases in sheep productivity have been largely through increased stocking rates, greater fertilizer use and better grazing systems. In the next decade there are many feasible technological advances awaiting application. The use of computer simulation is likely to assist in predicting quantitative and qualitative body compositional responses to nutrition and in increasing the efficiency of grass utilization, while microprocessor technology will be developed into artificial aids to the stockman. Studies of reproductive physiology will continue to help increase output, especially with pigs and sheep. The building of sophisticated housing is likely to be justified for pigs, poultry, dairy cattle and calves, but not for suckler beef and sheep. There is likely to be greater use of centralized breeding schemes for dairy cattle, beef cattle and sheep. The future application of technology will be limited by a number of socio-economic factors. For example, the use of milk quotas to control surplus production will act as a powerful economic constraint to increased milk production and the growing public concern over animal welfare, pollution and health aspects of animal produce will exert increasing pressure on certain systems of production.