Similar trends in intensification occurred in the livestock industry. Today, a great proportion of livestock is raised on fewer and larger farms than ever before. For example, currently, more than 50 percent of the hogs in the U.S. are raised on farms with more than 5,000 hogs.

The dairy industry has also intensified. This is reflected in the trend that fewer cows produce more milk than ever before. Between 1991 and 2000, the number of milk cows decreased, on average, 6 percent per year; milk production increased, on average, 14 percent per year.

While intensification has increased productivity, it has also increased the vulnerability of livestock farms to disasters. This vulnerability is a result of having more animals in a smaller space. Under these conditions, even localized disasters can have very large impacts on livestock agriculture.