(a) State five differences between the digestive systems of a goat and a chicken. (b) Explain each of the following terms as used in animal production: (I) ...
Question 1 Report
(a) State five differences between the digestive systems of a goat and a chicken.
(b) Explain each of the following terms as used in animal production:
(I) rumination;
(ii) coprophagy.
(c) Give one reason for carrying out each of the following practices in livestock production:
(i) creep feeding; (ii) steaming-up; (iii) flushing.
(d)(i) State four ways in which rangelands are important. (ii) List four practices that could be carried out to improve pastures.
Answer Details
(a) Five differences between the digestive systems of a goat and a chicken
| Goat | Chicken |
|---|---|
| Ruminant with a four-chambered stomach | Monogastric with a single stomach |
| Has teeth for chewing | Has no teeth |
| Has no crop | Has a crop for storing food |
| Has no gizzard; chews the cud instead | Has a gizzard (with grit) for grinding food |
| Has a large rumen for cellulose digestion and passes waste through the anus | Has a small caecum and passes waste through the cloaca/vent |
(b) Terms used in animal production
- Rumination: the process by which a ruminant regurgitates partly digested food (cud) from the rumen to the mouth for further chewing and then re-swallows it.
- Coprophagy: the practice (as in rabbits) of eating one's own soft faeces so as to re-digest the food and recover nutrients such as vitamins and proteins.
(c) One reason for carrying out each practice
- Creep feeding: to provide extra feed to young animals (e.g. piglets) separately so that they grow faster while still suckling.
- Steaming-up: to give extra feed to a pregnant animal in late gestation to nourish the developing foetus and prepare the dam for lactation.
- Flushing: to improve the feeding of females just before and during mating so as to raise the ovulation rate and increase conception/litter size.
(d)(i) Four ways in which rangelands are important
- They provide natural forage/grazing for livestock.
- They are a cheap source of animal feed.
- They provide habitat for wildlife and source of medicinal plants.
- They protect the soil against erosion and are a source of income.
(d)(ii) Four practices to improve pastures
- Controlled/rotational grazing.
- Application of fertilizer or manure.
- Weeding/weed control.
- Reseeding/oversowing with improved forage species.
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