another similarity to feedlot practices in livestock is feeding of antibiotics or medications either preventatively or more frequently when you have large unnatural concentrations of hives in a migratory operation. 

of course stationary operations don't have the same risk of these Colony Co-mingling Disease(s). 

the drive for increased production in the form of pollination is also another similarity to feedlot operations which seek to maximize the economic output of their operation. 

i would argue trying to pollinate huge monocrops of Asian nut trees blooming in North America in winter is a form of pushing the limits of production. 

across the board in agriculture we have a range of smaller sustainable operations and also large usually government subsidized industrial concentrations. not surprisingly beekeeping is not immune to this change in food production although the industrialized form is not being subsidized (yet).  

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