Factors Influencing Livestock Productivity

Numerous factors affect livestock production and productivity. In this chapter we will address those that are of paramount importance: climate, nutrition, and health aspects. In initial section we will review the effects of climate on livestock productivity and provide examples of livestock adaptation to climate constraints such as the Bos indicus cattle breeds adapted to hot weather and the fat tailed sheep, particularly adapted to arid conditions. In subsequent sections we address the influence of diseases and parasitism on livestock production and provide specific case studies on how diseases and parasites conditions affect livestock productivity and how domestic animals have adapted in order to cope with them. Finally, we describe two major nutrition-related factors affecting livestock productivity: seasonal weight loss and the browsing vs. grazing abilities in ruminants at the level of the oral cavity. In all section, case studies are provided as examples of specific adaptations to these problems.