WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2018 (Practical)

(a) Two other farm animals from which each specimen could be obtained

• (i) Specimen A (chicken egg): duck and turkey (also guinea fowl, quail and goose).
• (ii) Specimen B (cattle horn): ram/sheep and goat (also buffalo).
• (iii) Specimen C (cattle hoof): sheep and goat (also pig, horse, donkey and camel).

(b) Four ways in which specimen A (egg) is important

• It is a food rich in protein.
• It is a source of income to the farmer.
• It is used for reproduction, hatching into chicks.
• It is a raw material in industry (vaccines, cosmetics, adhesives and pharmaceuticals).

(c) One function of each of specimens B and C in farm animals

• Horn (B): used for defence and attack against enemies.
• Hoof (C): supports the body and protects the feet during walking.

(d) Three products that could be obtained from specimen B (horn)

• Buttons and combs.
• Glue/gelatine (adhesive).
• Cutlery handles (also musical instruments and ornaments).

(a)(i) Two forms in which specimen J (guinea grass) could be preserved

• As silage
• As hay

(a)(ii) Three qualities of each preserved form

Silage:

• It is light pale green to greenish-yellow in colour.
• It has a mild, pleasant, fruity/acidic aroma and is free from mould and slime.
• It is succulent with a low pH (about 4.0 to 4.5), which prevents further degradation.

Hay:

• It retains a fairly green colour with a high leaf proportion.
• It is cut before flowering and is free from dust, moulds, weeds and poisonous herbs.
• It has a low moisture content (about 15 to 25 per cent).

(b) Three advantages of growing specimens J and K (guinea grass and Pueraria) together

• The legume K fixes nitrogen and improves the nitrogen status and fertility of the soil.
• The mixture provides a more balanced ration, giving energy from the grass and protein from the legume, and reduces the risk of bloat.
• The dense cover protects the soil from erosion, smothers weeds and conserves soil moisture.

(c) Four management practices to improve the pasture

• Rotational grazing/paddocking with controlled stocking to avoid over- or under-grazing.
• Weed control.
• Fertilizer application.
• Reseeding, supported by irrigation and pest and disease control.

(a) Four ways of controlling specimen G (rat) on an animal farm

• Use of traps to catch and destroy them.
• Use of rodenticides/poisons.
• Good farm sanitation to remove food and hiding places.
• Storage of feed in covered, rat-proof containers and blocking of openings in walls and floors (predators such as cats also help).

(b) Four effects of specimen H (tick) on cattle

• They suck blood, causing anaemia and loss of condition.
• They are vectors of diseases such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis, theileriosis and heartwater.
• Their bites cause wounds that lead to secondary infection.
• They cause irritation and restlessness and damage the hide/skin, reducing productivity.

(c) Three other organisms with similar effects as specimen H (tick)

• Lice
• Mites/keds
• Fleas (also larvae of houseflies/blowflies)

(d) Four ways of controlling specimen H (tick)

• Application of acaricides/pesticides by dipping, spraying, dusting or pour-on.
• Hand-picking and destroying the ticks from the animal's body.
• Rotational grazing/paddocking and burning of infested pasture.
• Good farm hygiene with isolation/quarantine of infested animals.

Specimen E is a rabbit.

(a) Four reasons why farmers keep the rabbit

• It provides meat that is rich in protein and low in fat.
• It is a source of income to the farmer.
• It is prolific, matures early and has a short gestation period, so it multiplies rapidly.
• It provides raw materials such as fur/pelt and also droppings used as manure. (It is also kept as a pet and for research.)

(b) Two products obtained from the rabbit

• Meat.
• Pelt/skin (fur). (Bone and manure are also obtained.)

(c) Expected kindling date

The gestation period of a rabbit is about 31 days (30 to 32 days). Counting 31 days from the date of conception, 12th May 2016:

From 12th May to 31st May is 19 days; the remaining 12 days fall in June (19 + 12 = 31). Therefore the expected kindling date is 12th June 2016 (allowing 30 to 32 days, between 11th and 13th June 2016).

(d) Two ways of controlling ear mange on the rabbit

• Apply a recommended acaricide/miticide or sulphur ointment (or medicated oil) into the affected ears.
• Maintain good sanitation of the hutch, isolate affected animals and treat with a veterinary drug such as ivermectin.

(e) Endoparasites and ectoparasites that could infest the rabbit

• Two endoparasites: coccidia (Eimeria) and tapeworm (also roundworm and liver fluke).
• Two ectoparasites: mange mites (ear mites) and fleas (also lice and ticks).