Animal Husbandry WAEC

Artificial Insemination

Aperçu

A single Holstein bull with outstanding milk-yield genetics can sire only a few hundred calves in a lifetime of natural mating. The same bull's semen, collected once and frozen, can sire tens of thousands, on farms he will never visit, years after he has died. That is the promise of artificial insemination: it detaches superior genetics from the physical limits of a single animal covering a single herd.

In this lesson you will learn exactly what AI is and how it differs from natural mating, follow the procedure from semen collection through evaluation, dilution, freezing and thawing to the moment of insemination, and weigh the real advantages against the real disadvantages, including the cold-chain problem that makes AI harder to run in rural Nigeria than in a temperate dairy country.

Objectifs

  1. Define artificial insemination
  2. State the procedure involved in artificial insemination
  3. Explain the advantages of artificial insemination over natural mating
  4. State the disadvantages of artificial insemination
  5. Explain the equipment used in artificial insemination

Carte mentale

Ce theme est schematise pour montrer comment les idees se relient.

Cartes memoire

Entrainement rapide sur les faits evalues dans ce theme.

Note de cours

A cattle breeder near Kaduna wants his cows served by an exceptional bull kept hundreds of kilometres away in Zaria. Transporting either animal is expensive and risky. Artificial insemination solves this without moving either: only the semen travels, so one bull's genetics can reach herds he never meets.

Évaluation de la leçon

Félicitations, vous avez terminé la leçon sur Artificial Insemination. Maintenant que vous avez exploré le concepts et idées clés, il est temps de mettre vos connaissances à lépreuve. Cette section propose une variété de pratiques des questions conçues pour renforcer votre compréhension et vous aider à évaluer votre compréhension de la matière.

Vous rencontrerez un mélange de types de questions, y compris des questions à choix multiple, des questions à réponse courte et des questions de rédaction. Chaque question est soigneusement conçue pour évaluer différents aspects de vos connaissances et de vos compétences en pensée critique.

Utilisez cette section d'évaluation comme une occasion de renforcer votre compréhension du sujet et d'identifier les domaines où vous pourriez avoir besoin d'étudier davantage. Ne soyez pas découragé par les défis que vous rencontrez ; considérez-les plutôt comme des opportunités de croissance et d'amélioration.

  1. Artificial insemination differs from natural mating mainly because: A. It always produces twins B. Semen is collected and manually deposited into the female rather than through direct mating C. It does not require a healthy sire D. It removes the need to detect oestrus Answer: B
  2. In the artificial insemination procedure, semen is usually frozen for storage in: A. Distilled water B. A refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius C. Liquid nitrogen D. Saline solution Answer: C
  3. Which instrument is used to deposit thawed semen into the female's reproductive tract? A. Artificial vagina B. AI gun (insemination pipette) C. Rectal palpation glove D. Extender bottle Answer: B
  4. Which of the following is an advantage of artificial insemination over natural mating? A. It removes the need for skilled personnel B. It allows a single superior sire to service far more females C. It guarantees pregnancy regardless of timing D. It eliminates the cost of semen straws Answer: B
  5. A major disadvantage of artificial insemination in many rural Nigerian communities is: A. Too many bulls are required B. Natural mating is illegal C. Maintaining the liquid nitrogen cold chain is difficult D. It increases disease transmission between animals Answer: C

Questions de révision

Vous vous demandez à quoi ressemblent les questions passées sur ce sujet ? Voici plusieurs questions sur Artificial Insemination des années précédentes.

Question 1 Rapport

(a)i) Explain the term brooding as used in animal husbandry.

(ii) State four routine activities which are carried out in a brooder house.

(b) State four effects of parasites in livestock production.

(c) Mention four ways of controlling liver fluke in sheep production.

(d) Define the term artificial insemination as used in animal production.

(ii) State four advantages of artificial insemination in cattle production.

Détails de la réponse

(a)(i) Meaning of brooding

Brooding is the rearing and care of young chicks under artificial heat/warmth from day-old until about six to eight weeks of age, when they are able to regulate their own body temperature and no longer need extra heat.

(a)(ii) Four routine activities carried out in a brooder house

  • Providing and regulating artificial heat for the chicks.
  • Supplying clean feed and water.
  • Cleaning the house and replacing wet/dirty litter.
  • Vaccinating/medicating the chicks and removing dead or sick ones.

(b) Four effects of parasites in livestock production

  • They reduce productivity (lower weight gain, milk and egg yield).
  • They cause or transmit diseases.
  • They cause anaemia through blood sucking and damage tissues/organs.
  • They cause emaciation and may lead to the death of the animal.

(c) Four ways of controlling liver fluke in sheep production

  • Drain marshy/waterlogged grazing land.
  • Control the snail intermediate host using molluscicides.
  • Drench the sheep with anthelmintics/flukicides.
  • Practise rotational grazing and avoid grazing wet pasture in the early morning or late evening.

(d)(i) Definition of artificial insemination

Artificial insemination (A.I.) is the mechanical introduction of semen collected from a selected male into the reproductive tract of a female animal without natural mating.

(d)(ii) Four advantages of artificial insemination in cattle production

  • It allows a single superior bull to serve many cows.
  • It prevents the spread of breeding/venereal diseases.
  • Semen can be stored and transported over long distances.
  • It reduces the cost of keeping many bulls and overcomes size differences between animals.