WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2025 (Essay)

(a) Advantages of artificial insemination

• It is cheaper to import semen/transport semen than the live male
• Optimal use of semen/one male can be used for several females                                      
• The semen of a desired sire can be used even after death
• Less space is required to keep male animals for breeding purpose
• Saves the cost of maintaining males            
• Semen of old/injured animals/overweight sires can be used
• It helps in planning breeding programme
• Minimal labour is required to keep sire for
• breeding purpose                                                         
• Prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases
• It aids better record keeping
• There is high rate of conception and productivity/breeding efficiency  

                              
(b)  Functions of the rumen

• Temporary storage of food
• Digestion of feed nutrients
• Soften fibre/feed
• Fermentation of cellulose/fibre/feed
• Provides suitable environment for microbial protein synthesis
• Synthesis of vitamins B complex and K
• Production of enteric gas e.g CH4, CO2, H2                                                                        
• Production of volatile fatty acids e.g. acetate, butyrate, propionate   
• Absorption of certain nutrient occurs from the wall of the rumen
• Assists in the act of rumination
• Utilization of non-protein nitrogenous compounds
• Accommodates micro-organisms
• Mixing/churning of digesta/regurgitation
• Serves as passage way of digesta/chyme to the reticulum

(a) Functions of reproductive Hormones In Livestock: (i) Progesterone Ensures implantation of fertilized Ovum, - Maintains pregnancy. Inhibits Oestrus, - Causes the development of alveoli in the mammary gland. - Supports Tactation. - Supports thyroid function. (ii) Androgen -Initiates spermatogenesis. Responsible for the development of Male secondary sexual characteristics. - maintains Sex drive/libido. - Sustains the life of sperms in the epididymis. - Reduces fat deposition. -Enhances Muscular growth. -Promotes the growth of accessory sex glands. -Enhances Skeletal growth. (iii) Oestrogen - Stimulates growth of ducts in the udder.- Promotes egg production - induces rapid multiplication of epithelium in the vagina - Increases blood supply to uterus - increases the water content of uterus. - Prepares the uterus for reception of fertilized ovum. - Stimulates the development of female secondary sex characteristics.- Increases culinary activities and mucous secretion in the vagina. (iv) Luteinizing hormone -Causes rupture of Graafian follicle. - Stimulates release of ova. - Stimulates secretion of oestrogen and progesterone.

(b) Completion of table
 

(c) Methods of Natural mating in Animal production: Pen mating. - Flock mating/herd mating. - Hand/stud mating. - Pasture mating.

(a) Causes of low egg production in chicken: 
(i) Age of birds/moulting (ii) Incidence of diseases (iii) Pest infestation 
(iv) Unfavourable weather/photoperiodism (v) Poor housing/ ventilation 
(vi) Poor feeding/malnutrition/ tinder nutrition/inadequate feeding (vii) Types of breed (viii) Broodiness (ix) Poor/inadequate water supply/in-take
(x) Poor illumination
(xi) Incidence of predators (xii) Poor sanitation/hygiene (xiii) Noise pollution. 

(b) Parts of the digestive system of pigs: (i) Mouth/ teeth/tongue/salivary gland (ii) Gullet/oesophagus/throat/ gut/ food pipe (iii) Stomach (iv) Liver (v) Pancreas (vi) Gall bladder/bile duct
(vii) Small intestine/duodenum/Jejunum/ileum (vii) Large intestines/caecum/colon/rectum (viii)Anus 

(c) Importance of cattle production! (i) Source of meat/protein (ii) Source of milk (iii) used on farms for traction/work power 
(iv) Source of employment (v) Source of income/investment (vi) For social and cultural purposes 
(vii) Skin for producing leather/raw materials for industry (viii) Source of organic manure 
(ix) Transportation/beast of burden (x) Source of animal feed (blood meal, bone meal 
(xi)Source of foreign exchange (xii) Education/research (xiii) Exhibition/livestock shows 
(xiv) Aesthetic/decoration materials, e.g horn, hoof, teeth, tail. 

(d) Uses of poultry eggs: (i) Eaten as food by humans/source of protein in human diets (ii) Sources of income to farmers 
(iii) Raw material for industries/ confectioneries/preservatives/vaccine/medical products 
(iv) Could be a source of foreign exchange 
(v) Used for research/education (vii) For cultural/religious/purposes of feed/protein or minerals for  (viii) animals (ix) Exhibition/egg show.

(a)   Equipment used on a dairy farm;

• Feed trough                                        
• Water trough
• Forage harvester/sickle/baler            
• Milking machine
• Milk test cup                                      
• Weighing scale
• Drenching bottles                              
• Buckets/container/headpan
• Restraining rope/stanchion stall        
• Knife/cutlass/matchet
• Homogenizer                                      
• Pasteurizer
• Milk tank                                           
• Refrigerator
• Wheelbarrow                                      
• Shovel/spade
• Calving box                                       
• Coding machine
• First aid box                                       
• Rake
• Hay fork                                             
• Digger
• Castrator                                                                                                                    

(b) Steps involved in the pasteurization of milk;

• Collect milk
• Heat to appropriate temperature
• Maintain temperature for a specific period of time
• Allow to cool
• Store at low temperature   

                                                                 
(c) Roles of agents in the marketing of animal products;

1. Wholesaler

• buy in bulk/large quantity      
• provide processing facilities
• provide storage facilities        
• make advertisement
• sell to retailers                        
• provide transportation facilities
• buy produce from the farmers directly
• usually provide credit facilities to farmers and retailers
• relay information from retailers to farmers and vice versa  

                                                                                     
Retailer

• buy from wholesalers                        
• sell directly to consumers
• provide storage facilities                    
• package the products/processing facility
• provide credit facilities to consumers
• relay information from consumers to wholesalers
• make goods readily available/accessible

(d) Advantages of agents in the marketing of animal products;

1. Marketing Boards

• stabilize prices                        
• provide credit facility to farmers
• offer quality control services 
• provide storage facilities
• help to transport produce       
• prevent wastage of farm produce
• provide advice and technical support/provision of information
• provide organized ready market/even distribution of produce
• generate revenue for the government
• ensure compliance to rules and regulations

                                                             
(ii) Co-operative societies

• grant loans to members at affordable rates/credit facilities
• provide goods and services at cheap rates
• provide storage facilities/equipment/inputs to members
• organize extension services/close contact
• have negotiation/bargaining power
• make advertisement
• stimulate competition
• give dividends to members

(a)  Definition of animal improvement:

 It refers to means/techiques of developing/breeding/producing animals of better traits/characters over the existing ones /parents              

OR
It is a means/technique of introduction/selection/breeding of animals with better/outstanding traits/character/genes/allele over the existing ones
                                                                                   
(b)  Explanation of the terms;

Cross breeding;

• It is the mating of proven quality animals from
• different breeds but the same species e.g. Muturu  x White Fulani.
• It leads to production of heterosis/hybrid vigour      

Out breeding;

• It is the mating of unrelated animals of the same breed
• It recovers certain traits that may have been lost due to other breeding methods.
• New traits are introduced in the offspring/young ones

(d)       Completion of the table

(a) Ways of Preventing Malnutrition in Farm Animals:

- Provide sufficient ration.

- Always feed a balanced diet

- Feed weaker animals separately

- Provide supplementary feed to animals.

- Provide feed additives.

- Deworm arm animals regularly

- Use appropriate stocking rate of farm animals

- Provide quality and adequate drinking water.

- Protect animals from toxic plants and harmful substances

- Treat against ectoparasites/dip animals regularly.

(b) Discussion on rickets in farm animals:

(i) Causes:
-Calcium deficiency.
- Phosphorus deficiency.
- Calcium
- Phosphorus imbalance.
- Vitamin D deficiencies

(ii) Symptoms:
- Retarded growth.
- lmproper coordination
- Staggering gait
- Flexible and curved hones bow leg
- Soft-shelled/shelless eggs in poultry.
- Low egg production in poultry.
- Low milk production

(iii) Control measures:
- Add bone meal/oyster shell to feed/provide calcium and phosphorus.
- Sup balanced diet.
- Exposure to moderate.
- Supplement feed with vitamin D.

(iv) Animal which could be affected:
- Poultry, e.g. chicken, turkey.
- Cattle.
- Sheep.
- Goat.
- Pig.
- Rabbit
- Donkey
- Camel.
- Horse.
- Gras cutter

(c) Explanation of additives as used in animal nutrition: Ingredients added to a diet perform a specific role, e.g. to improve the growth of feed efficiency.

- Substances added to feed in small quantities which may or may not Supply nutrients.

(d) Reasons why additives are included in animal feed:

- To provide appetite and encourage feed consumption.

- To supply nutrients to farm animals

- To improve the nutritional value of feed e.g enzymes, herbal products.

- Prevention and treatment of some specific diseases.

- To deworm farm animals.

- For promoting growth.

- As a binder to make certain. target nutrients available.