WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2024 (Essay)

(a) Explanation of terms as used in the slaughtering of farm animals:

(i) Scalding: It is the act of immersing a carcass in hot water for a few minutes to facilitate the removal of feathers/hair/fur

(ii) Singeing: It is the act of removing hair from a slaughtered animal by the use of flame

(iii) Evisceration: The removal of internal organs from the carcass of farm animals.

(b) Agents involved in the marketing of farm animals and animal products:

- Producer/farmer.
- Retailer/middlemen
- Transporter.
- Advertisers/media.
- Commissioned agent.
- Cooperative society
- Wholesaler/middlemen Consumer.
- Broker.
- Exporter.
- Importer.

(c) Marketing Functions that could be performed to facilitate the sale of chicken and eggs:

- Advertising/promotion.

- Processing.

- Transportation distribution 

- Price tagging.

- Sorting.

- Appropriate registration.

- Storage.

- Grading.

- Packaging

- Product labelling.

- Networking.

(d) Stages in the cycle of a roundworm:

- Adult.
- Larva,
- Ege

(e) Methods of animal improvement:

- Introduction.
- Selection
- Breeding/hybridization

(a)   Management of goats

            (i)         Breeding

• Goats should be bred when they are at least 8-9 months old for the male and 12-15 months for the female/attainment of puberty
• Unwanted males should be castrated or disposed of while good    
• males are retained
• Males should be separated from females at weaning stage where
• possible
• Female should be flushed before mating
• One buck can mate eighteen to twenty five does
• Signs of heat should be identified/observed

(ii)        Care of kids

• Clean the mucous membrane when the kid is born
• Dip navel of the kid in Iodine solution
• Provide warmth when necessary
• Ensure that kids suckle or are provided with colostrum
• Provide foster mother or milk substitute if necessary
• Introduce kids to solid feed/weaning at six to eight weeks
• Provide creep feed
• Provide salt lick
• Maintain proper sanitation
• Undertake routine medication/vaccination
• Isolate sick animals
• Castrate kids not required for breeding
• Isolate dam and kid from the herd to avoid trampling
• Separate kids from dams during grazing periods

(iii)       Identification

• Determine the appropriate identification method e.g. ear notching,    
• ear tagging, neck chaining, collar paint, branding, body/hair cutting
• Ensure proper record of animals for breeding, culling, selection,
• medication purposes
• Inspect the animals regularly to ensure that their identification   
• marks are intact
• Replace lost identities/re-embossed faded marks
• Prompt treatment of injuries that may arise during and after identification process

(iv)       Castration

• Male kids not required for breeding should be castrated
•  Castration should be done before four months old
• Determine the type of castration to be carried out e.g. close castration,
• using the burdizzo or elastrator or open castration, using sterilized sharp knife
• or blade or scarpel
• Isolate castrated goats from the herd for close monitoring
• During the healing process ensure regular cleaning of the wound
• with appropriate antiseptics
• Administer prescribed drugs to goat after castration
• Ensure that animal is kept on high plane of nutrition during the
• period of castration
• Supply clean water regularly
• Ensure proper sanitation in pens where castrated goats are kept
• Close monitoring of the animal to determine the effectiveness of
• the castration

(a) Internal Organs Found in each Region of Farm Animals: (i) Thoracic region: - Heart. -Trachea. -Lungs. -Diaphragm. -Oesophagus/gullet/throat. (ii) Abdominai region: -Liver. -Stomach/Rumen/ ecticullun/omasun/abomasun -kidney. -Fallopian tubeloviduct. -Spleen. -Pancreas. -Large intestine. -Small intestine. -Ureter. -Uterus. -Ovary. -Gall bladder. (b) (i) Records that could be kept by a poultry farmer: - Production record. -Inventory record. -Purchase record. -Input record. -Sales record/ marketing record. -Labour record. -Farm diary. -Income and expenditure record. -Health records/drug. regime record/ill health. -Mortality record. -Routine management record. (ii) Reasons for keeping records in poultry production: - Enables larmers to detect changes in price of produce, -Shows the financial position of the farm. -Helps to know all activities carried out on the farm, -For taking managpmen decision, -For taxation purposes. -For procuring loan. -To detect fraudulent practices on the farm. -For computing farmer's net worth. -For budgeting. -1o assess production performance. (c)(i) Damages that could be caused by rats in a deep litter house: - Acts as vectors of diseases. -Compete with birds for feed, -Contaminate feed. -Waste feed. -Can kill the birds. -Destroy poultry equipment -Destroy poultry house. -Contaminate water. -Waste water. -Compete with birds for water. -Cause panic/scare/stampede. (ii) Ways of controlling rats on animal farms: - Clear bush around the farm. -Trapping with baits/glue board. -Fencing/surround with wire netting. -Use of predators, e.g cats. -Sealing off all holes, -Use rodenticides/rat poison.

(a) Activities that could be Carried out in the Brooding of Chicks:

- Disinfect brooder house

- Remove chicks from transportation box.

- Inspect the chicks for fitness.

- Introduce heat source

- Observe the behaviour of birds in relation to heat and make adjustments.

- Change litter appropriately

- Provide feed adlibitum.

- Provide water adlibitum.

- Clean and wash drinkers and feeders

- Gradually increase the space available to chicks as they grow older.

- Administer appropriately vaccination and drugs.

- Provide adequate ventilation in the brooder house.

- Provide adequate illumination

- Inspect chicks regularly to remove dead ones.

- Separate/cull weak birds.

- Gradually decrease the temperature as birds grow older.

- Culling of chicks.

- Provide wood shavings/ spread wood shavings.

(b) Explanation of management practices in poultry production:

(i) Deworming:
- Use of drugs to eliminate endoparasite.
- lt is done at six weeks of age and repeated every three months.
- lt can be done through injection or oral administration.

(ii) Culling:
- Removal of unproductive unwanted birds from the flock either sale o disposal.
- Culled birds are never returned.

(iii) Debeaking:
- This is the partial cutting/trimming of the upper beak when the bird is 8-10 weeks old.
- lt is done with a debeaker /knife scalpel/blade.
- lt is done to prevent cannibalism and egg pecking
- lt is mostly useful in cocks and lavers.

(iv) Delousing:
- lt is the removal of lice from the body of birds.
- lt is dene b dusting or careful dipping of birds in insecticide or by oral administration or injection.

c) Signs of ill health in poultry:
- Reduced appetite/ feed intake.
- Emaciation loss of weight.
- Dul appearance of wattle and comb.
- Reduced egg production/productivity.
- Huddling of chicks
- Diarrhoea.
- Ruffled feathers.
- Occular discharge eye discharge.
- Difieult breathing.
- Drooping o wings.
- High temperature/fever.
- Discolouration of droppings.
- Swollen body e.g leg. head Excessive salivation.
-Isolation
 - Coma.
- Constipation.
- Anaemia.
- Twisted neck.
- Coughing.
- Restlessness.

(d) Organs in the circulatory system of farm animals:
- Heart Arteries blood vessels-Veins blood vessels.
- Capillaries blood vessels.

(a) (i) External parts of a cock

- toe/digits

- wings

- tail

- breast

- claw  

- wattle

- feathers

- comb

- nostril  

- beak

- eye

- earlobe/ear

- hock

- thigh

- neck

- leg/shank

- spur

(ii) Viral diseases a poultry

- Fowl pox

- Bird flu/avian influenza

- Newcastle disease

- Mareks

- Gumboro/infection us bursal disease Infectious bronchitis,

(b) Signs observed in a sick farm animal

- loss of appetite restlessness

- loss of weight/cm emaciation

- anaemia

- diarrhea/excessive stooling

- coughing/sneezing

- fever/ high body temperature gnashing of teeth

- stained urine

- undue noise

- alopecia/ loss of  air

- swollen skin/oedem

- sudden death/ coma vomiting,

- blood-stained faeces constipation

- standing hair/ rough feather/ droopy wings

- convulsion

- isolation from the flock nasal discharge

 - oozing of blood from natural openings/orifices

- ocular discharge

- excessive salivation

- difficulty of breathing

- inflammation of organs

- skin blister/ inflammations/reddened skin
- skin irritation
- weakness 
(C) Explanation of terms 
(i) Drenching
It is given using a certain dose of solution to an animal. 
 - It involves the use of drench bottles/drenching gun. 
- It is done to control endoparasites. 
(ii) Dipping
- The process of passing animals through chemical solution to remove ectoparasites 
- It is done when weather is fair. 
- Animals should not be thirsty and hungry before dipping. 
(d) Body systems in farm animals 
- circulatory system 
- digestive system 
- reproductive system/reproductory system 
- respiratory system 
- Muscular system 
- endocrine system nervous system 
- excretory system 
- lymphatic system 
- skeletal system 
- integumentary system 
 

(a) Advantages of Castration in Livestock Production:

-Prevents indiscriminate mating/breeding control.

-Increased animal weight/growth improvement.

-Improved meat quality.

- Animals docile for easy handling.

-Removal of male odour

- Improvement of market value.

Disadvantages of Castration in Livestock Production:

- Blood may be lost in the process

- If not well treated, wound may persist.

- There could be excess deposit of fat.

- Desirable traits may be lost.

- It is stressful/painful to the animal.

- Death may occur.

(b) (i) 

(ii) Functions of Parts:

Beak: - picks the feed. - moistens the feed:

Oesophagus/gullet/gut/throat: - Passage for feed from mouth to Crop:

Crop - Temporary storage of feed -Further moistening of feed.

Proventriculus:- Secretion of gastric juice/digestive enzyme;-Digestion of proteins

Ventriculus:-Mixing/churning of feed.

Small intestine:-Digestion of feed. - Secretion of digestive enzymes. -Absorption of nutrients.

Large intestines: -Absorption of water.

Pancreas: - Secretion of pancreatic juice.

Liver: - Secretion of bile.

Gall bladder: - Storage of bile.

Caeca/Caecum: - Microbial fermentation, - Absorption of water.

Rectum: - Absorption of water. -Collection of faecal material.

Cloaca/anus/vent: - Passage for droppings-

Gizzard:-Grinding of feed.