WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2025 (Essay)

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(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

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(a) (i) Explanation of the Term Monogastric:   A monogastric is a farm animal with simple stomach. They have simple digestive system. They can be herbivores or non-herbivores.

(ii) Examples of Monogastrics:

• pig
• rabbit
• horse
• poultry
• grasscutter
• donkey

(b) Explanation of terms;

(i) Concentrate: Are animal feeds that are high in nutrients but low in fibre. They are highly digestible. Could be protein or carbohydrate.

(ii) Additives: Substances added to feed in small quantities. They supply nutrients or non-nutrients. It could be in form of liquid/solid.

 

(c) Importance of Roughage in the Diet of Farm Animals:

• It provides bulk in animal feed.
• Enhances bowel movement.
• Prevents constipation by binding with feed.
• Serves as a source of energy in animals.
• Serves as substrate and habitat for microbes in animals.

(d) Materials used in Milking Cows:

• Milking machine.
• Milking chute/rope.
• Milk testing cup.
• Cheese cloth
• Milking pails/bucket

(e) Animals Fed on Prepared Feed:

(i) Pellets: Rabbits, Grasscutter, Poultry, Ruminant, Camel, Snails, Pig, Horse, Donkey, Guinea pig

(ii) Mash: Rabbits, Grass Cutter, Poultry, Ruminant, Camel, Snails, Pig, Horse, Donkey, Guinea Pig

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(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.

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(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

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(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

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(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