Answer :
Final answer:
A 95% confidence interval refers to the range within which we expect the population mean to lie, not the outcomes for individual observations. It represents our confidence in the estimate of the mean, not a prediction of individual cow weight gains. Misunderstanding this leads to a common misinterpretation of confidence intervals in research studies.
Explanation:
The interpretation that "The average weight gain of cows fed this supplement will be between 45 and 67 pounds 95% of the time" is incorrect. A 95% confidence interval provides an estimate for the population mean, not the outcomes of individual trials or cows. In other words, we can say we are 95% confident that the true average weight gain for all cows if we could measure it, is somewhere between 45 and 67 pounds. The margin of error indicates the degree of uncertainty associated with this estimate.
Importantly, the confidence interval does not predict the exact range of weight gain for every cow; rather, it reflects the precision of the estimate of the mean weight gain. If this experiment were to be replicated many times, 95% of the confidence intervals produced from those experiments would capture the true population mean, assuming all assumptions for the confidence interval construction are met.
Animal husbandry practices show that feed conversion ratios vary greatly among different livestock and are influenced by many factors including the type and amount of feed, genetic factors, and farming practices. The production of meat is less energy-efficient than the production of plant-based foods, as a significant portion of the energy in feed is lost in the conversion to meat, leading to higher costs for meat products. Intensive livestock production relies heavily on feed inputs, which raises several ethical, environmental, and economic concerns. These considerations are crucial for sustainable agriculture and farming practices.
