![]() Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that chicken, hog and cattle waste has caused pollution along 56,000 km (35,000 miles) of rivers in 22 states and has caused some degree of groundwater contamination in 17 states. Animal wastes have also been dumped, either inadvertently or intentionally, into natural waters. Sometimes animal wastes are stored in lagoons adjacent to feedlots, but during heavy rainstorms (or hurricanes in eastern NC), runoff from these lagoons can contaminate nearby waterways. The waste is used to fertilize nearby agriculture fields, but if over-applied, as is usually the case, it can cause the same nutrient runoff problems as synthetic fertilizer. An average CAFO produces over 2,000 tons of manure annually, or about as much as a town of 5,000 people would produce. Additionally, feedlots generate a large amount of organic waste, which can contaminate ground and surface water. There is evidence that antibiotics given to confined animals are contributing to an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms that affect humans. High-density animal farming has many environmental and health consequences. The animals are given antibiotics and nutrient supplements to reduce the adverse health effects and diseases, which would normally be high in such highly concentrated animal populations. Keeping animals confined to a small space, which is criticized by some on ethical grounds, ensures that less energy is expended by the animal in activities such as moving around and the increased respiration that will result. By keeping animals confined, farmers minimize land costs, improve feeding efficiency, and increase the fraction of food energy that goes into the production of animal body mass. A CAFO may contain as many as 2,500 hogs or 50,000 turkeys in a single building. This type of high-density animal farming is used for beef cattle, dairy cows, hogs and poultry, all of which are confined or allowed very little movement during all or part of their life cycle. They tend to be crowded, and animals are fed grains or feed that are not as suitable as grass. They are large indoor or outdoor structures designed for maximum output. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are used as a way to quickly get livestock ready for slaughter. Many of these animals were raised in CAFOs. Department of Agriculture (USDA), roughly 150 million animals were slaughtered for beef, pork and lamb, along with billions of chickens, turkeys and ducks. Meat production is less efficient than agriculture it takes approximately 20 times more land to produce the same amount of calories from meat as plants. Methods of meat production include concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), also called feedlots, and free-range grazing. As agriculture developed to supply meat and poultry to large numbers of people at a low cost, the primary objective became implementing methods that promoted the faster growth of animals. ![]() We have seen that in order to remain economically viable and feed large numbers of people, modern agriculture in the United States has had to become larger and more mechanized.
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