▶️ Answer/Explanation
(a)
Answer:
1. The farmer selects goats with the highest milk yield from the herd.
2. These high-yielding goats are bred together.
3. The offspring are evaluated for milk production.
4. The best milk-producing offspring are selected for further breeding.
5. This process is repeated over many generations.
Detailed Explanation:
Selective breeding is a process where humans choose specific animals with desirable traits to produce offspring with enhanced characteristics. In this case, the farmer wants goats that produce more milk.
First, the farmer must identify which goats in the current herd produce the most milk. These become the breeding stock. By mating two high-yielding goats, there’s a good chance their offspring will inherit this trait.
After the first generation is born, the farmer needs to monitor which kids grow up to be the best milk producers. Only these select few should be used for the next round of breeding. This careful selection over multiple generations gradually increases the average milk yield of the herd.
The process requires patience as it takes several generations to see significant improvements. It’s also important to maintain genetic diversity to avoid health problems that can come from too much inbreeding.
(b)
Answer:
1. More economical – produces more food using less space and resources.
2. Easier management – animals are concentrated in one area making feeding and healthcare simpler.
Detailed Explanation:
Intensive livestock farming has several advantages that make it appealing to farmers. Firstly, it’s more economical because you can produce a large amount of food (meat, milk, eggs) in a relatively small space. The animals are kept in confined areas where their movement is limited, so they use less energy and convert more of their food into body mass or milk.
Secondly, intensive farming makes management much easier. With all animals in a controlled environment, farmers can monitor their health more closely, administer medications efficiently, and ensure they’re all receiving proper nutrition. The controlled environment also protects the animals from predators and extreme weather conditions.
Other benefits include more consistent product quality and year-round production unaffected by seasonal changes. However, it’s worth noting that while intensive farming has these advantages, there are also ethical and environmental concerns that need to be considered.
