WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2024 (Essay)

Answer Details

(a) Explanation of Terms:

(i) Flushing: -It is the act of giving extra nutritious feed to female animals (mostly pigs and small ruminants) before mating to enhance the release of more ova/to enhance multiple births.

(ii) Dystocia: - It is referred to as abnormal or difficult birth in farm animals occasioned by mal-presentation and abnormal positioning of foetus in the uterus. -It can also be caused by small pelvis of dam, large foetus, foetal abnormalities and uterine and vaginal rupture.

(iii) Parturition: -The act of giving birth in livestock which is influenced by hormones.

(b) Importance of Fencing in Livestock Production:

• Helps to control and handle animals.
• Protects animals from consuming crops sprayed with chemicals
• prevents animals from destroying crop farms.
• Protects animals from theft.
• Protects animals from predators.
• Helps to separate animals into groups.
• Helps to divide pasture into paddock.
• Helps to practice controlled grazing.

(c) Importance of Rearing Rabbits:

• Highly prolific/can produce many litters at a time.
• Can convert less quantity of feed to high quality products, e.g. forage/high feed efficiency.
• Small capital is needed for establishing rabbitry.
• Space requirement is minimal.
• Serves as companion animal/'pet.
• Breeding/mating is easy due to spontaneous ovulation.
• Used for research purposes/educational.
• Serves as a good source of animal protein/rabbit meat is white, tender and nutritious/food for humans.
• Have short gestation period.
• Source of income.
• Attain maturity weight early.
• Source of employment.

(d) Disadvantages of Deep

• Wastage of feed by birds is high.
• Cannibalism and egg pecking can occur.
• Eggs are prone to breakage
• Litter System of Rearing Poultry:
• Requires large quantity of litter which add to cost of production.
• Eggs are often dirty due to dirty litter.
• High spread of disease.
• Difficult to detect unproductive birds.
• High infestation of parasite.
• High ammonia build-up.
• Difficult to detect sick birds/weak birds.

Answer Details

(a)  Definition of artificial pasture;
This is an area of land covered with forage crops and established by man for feeding livestock/ruminants.
 

(b)  Advantages of grass-legume mixture in pastures;

• Productivity is high/high yield                      
• Animals get balanced diet
• Reduces soil erosion                                     
• Improves soil structure
• Mixture smother weeds/controls weeds      
• Reduces leaching of nutrients
• Provides variety for animals                         
• Reduces evapotranspiration
• Improves feed intake/palatability/acceptability
• Extends the growing season of forages
• Legumes improve soil fertility/fixation of nitrogen to soils  

                                                                                                                        
(c)(i) Management systems for keeping small ruminants;

• Free range/extensive system
• Intensive system
• Semi intensive system

(ii) Characteristics of Management systems;

Extensive system

• Poor healthcare                                  
• Uncontrolled breeding                                  
• Low input/low performance              
• Poor/no record keeping          
• Animals could be injured/killed/stolen
• Low output/delayed growth  
• Animals are not confined/no housing structure
• Animals are allowed to fend for themselves
• Animals are exposed to adverse environmental conditions
• Results in conflict between crop and livestock farmers                    

Intensive system        

• -  Animals are confined                        

• Animals are adequately fed
• High input                                          
• High output
• Proper record-keeping                        
• Controlled breeding
• Control of diseases                            
• Control of parasites/pests
• Control of predators   
• Protection from unfavourable environmental conditions                                                                  

Semi-intensive system

• Supplementary feeding is given        
• Some healthcare is provided                        
• Animals are confined at night           
• Moderate output                                            
• Moderate input                                   
• Difficult keeping records
• Animals can be injured/killed/stolen 
• Housing is provided
• Animals have opportunity to roam about

Answer Details

(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

Answer Details

(a) Explanation of malnutrition in farm animals: - Malnutrition is a condition caused y feeding animals with a diet deficient or excess in essential nutrients. -It can also occur when animal cannot utilize the nutrients in the feed due to ill health, stress and other factors. -It can occur when the right quantity of feed is not given to the animal. -Supplying feed whose nutrients are not in the right proportion.

(b) Effects of malnutrition in sheep: - Loss of weight/emaciation. -Anaemia. -High mortality/death rate -Poor body conformation. -Low immunity/high susceptibility to diseases. -Poor resistance to diseases -Physical deformity. -Dystocia/difficulty in parturition. -Low level of production/poor production. -Constipation/poor digestion. -Bloat. -Diarrhoea. -Ricket. -Osteomalacia. -Osteoporosis. -Stunted growth/ Poor growth. -Fatty meat.

(c) Ways of preventing malnutrition in rabbits: - Feeding with balanced diet. Supply of additives. -Feeding of weaker/young/sick/pregnant animals separately. Regular deworming. -Avoidance of overstocking in order to reduce competition. -Provision of good quality and adequate water. -Provision of supplementary feeding.

(d) Sources of nutrients in poultry feed: (i) Carbohydrates: - Cereals, e.g. rice, maize, wheat, guinea corn/sorghum, barley, oats, millet, process ed cereals. -Tủbers, e.g. cassava, potato, cocoyam, yam, chips, processed tubers. -Industrial waste, e.g. noodles, pasta, bread, biscuits. -Agro industrial by-products, e.g. peels, palm kernel cake, wheat bran, rice bran, pineapple pulp, citrus pulp. (ii) Protein: - Soyabean/soyabean cake. -Groundnut/ Groundnut cake. -Sesame seed. Cotton seed cake. -Blood meal. -Fish meal. -Maggot meal. -Meat meal. -Bambara seed. -Cowpea/beans. -Feather meal. -Insect meal. -Egg. -Milk. -Snail. -Crab. -Shrimp. (iii) Fats and Oils: - Cotton seed cake. -Groundnut oil/Groundnut. -Full fat soyabean. -Palm oil. -Shea butter. -Palm kernel oil. -Palm kernel cake. -Sunflower/sunflower cake. -Copra cake/coconut. -Animal fat/lard/ tallow (iv) Calcium: - Dicalcium phosphate. -Oyster shell. -Bone meal. -Egg shell. -Limestone. -Periwinkle shell. -Snail shell. -Crab shell. -Fossil.

Answer Details

(a)(i) Advantages of Introduction to Animal improvement Programme: -It brings animals of desirable traits into the farm. -Resuits in improved breeding program. -It brings variety into the farm/ genetic diversity/genetic variability. -Enhances productivity/high productivity. -Helps to incorporate and stabilize đesirable traits in the farm. -Perform better and are able to adapt to local conditions. -Resistance to pests. -Resistance to diseases. (ii) Disadvantages of selection in animal improvement programme: - May lead to the elimination of some existing desirable traits. -It is time-consuming. -It is expensive/high cost is needed. -It is tedious and stressful. -It requires skilled labor or expertise/technique. -No new desirable characteristics are introduced. -Requires up-to-date records that may not be present. -No guarantee that the desired traits would be passed on to the offspring. -Mutation could occur.

(b) Methods of artificial selection: - Mass selection/individual selection. -Progeny selection.-Family selection. -Pedigree selection. -Within family selection/sib selection body size.

(c) Physical features of animals to be selected for breeding: - Good body conformation of animals/body size. -Animals with good dentition and jaw/beak. -Animals with good feet/legs. -Animals with good coat/plumage color ANin2is without deformity in male/female reproductive organs. -Animals with appropriate nunber of eat -Acfive when allowed to moye/thriftiness. -No discharge from orifices. -Male must have a high libido. -Good temperament. -Good health. -Mothering ability/fecundity.

(d) Features of a good laying chicken: - Possession of glossy plumage/attractive feathers. -Possession of wide, moist cloaca. -Bright Ted comb and wattle. -Consistent optimal feed intake. -Soft and pliable abdomen. -Broad flexible pelvic bone. - Absence of broodiness. -Strong and well-curved beak. -Bright eyes which are weil opened and alert.- small, lean, and proportionate head. -Short and strong neck. Smooth and oily skin. -Broad and straight back. -Long, deep and proportionate body. Consistent optimal water intake.

Answer Details

(a) Equipment used in Incubation of Eggs: (i) Egg tray (ii) incubator (iii) Hatcher (iv) Egg candler (v) Egg grader (vi) Egg crate/egg setter. 
(b) Measures used to control Disease on the Farm: (i) Medication/Drenching (ii) Drug administration (iii) Vaccination/inoculation. 
(iv) Quarantine/isolation (v) Provision of adequate balanced diet. (vi) Provision of fresh clean water. (vii) Provision of well ventilated housing (viii) Restriction of unwanted visitors/animals

(ix) Provision of foot baths/bio-security. (x) Good stocking rate/avoidance of overstocking 
(xi) Good sanitary practices/good hygiene/cleaning (xi i) Dipping delousing pour-on. 
(c) Advantages of Artificial Insemination: (i) Enhances optimal use of semen (ii) Saves the cost of maintaining male animals 
(iii ) Prevents the spread of sexual transmitted diseases ) Easier and cheaper to obtain semen than a live male. 
(v)Allows more female animals to be served in the farm at the same time. 
(vi) It can be used to control inbreeding in the farm. (vii) The semen of a desired sire can be used even alter death. 
(viii) It aids better records keeping (ix) Semen of old/injured sires can be used 
(x) It makes it possible to inseminate female animals of different sizes. 

(d) Methods of Animal Improvement: Introduction: (i) This involves the movement of an animal  with desired characteristics or trails from its origin to another region where it can adapt. 
(ii) imported animals are: usually quarantined (iii) When introduced breeds are mated with local breeds the good qualities of both are obtained. 
(vi) Introduction can be costly in terms of purchase and maintenance. 
(v)Animal may not perform optimally in the new environment. Selection -It is the process of choosing animals with desirable qualities as parents. -Desirable qualities are passed onto the offspring -It maximizes genetic gain/accumulation of good traits. -Selection can be natural or artificial. -Example of artificial selection are mass, progeny, pedigree, family. Breeding/cross breeding/out breeding/inbreeding: 
-It involves the transfer )f heritable characters from parents to offspring through mating. -The parents are carefully chosen -Types of breeding include inbreeding, cross-breeding and out-breeding. The desired qualities are incorporated into succeeding generations.