WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2025 (Essay)

Bayanin Amsa

(a) Explanation of Ration

Ration is the amount of feed/ diet that is given to animals daily / 24 hour period.

(b) Explanation of how factors affect feed formulation

(i) Physiological status of animal Animals of different physiological state will require different types of diet, e.g.

- Healthy animals need balanced, production or maintenance ration.

- Poor slate of an animal requires a fortified feed.

- Pregnant animals - Lactating animal.,

(ii) Age of animal

- Animals at different stages of growth will require different formulas ion of diet.

- Older animals require lower nutrients.

- Younger animals require higher nutrients.

(iii) Purpose of production

- Different breeds require different nutrient composition in the feed.

- Feed content will depend on the purpose of production which might be for lactation, egg production or wool production.

- Fattening/beef/broiler/growth will require higher energy and protein in the feed for efficient production.

- Higher energy and protein are required in the feed for traction, draught, work and transportation of animals.

(iv) Availability of feed

- Determines which ingredient

- Determines the nutrient

- Determines level of

 - Determines the cost

- Determines the quantity

(c) Preparation of palm

- Seeds of palm kernel

- The seeds are roasted.

- The seeds are crushed

- The ground seeds are

- The residue is pressed

(d) Differences between Broiler Starter Mash and Broiler Finisher Mash

Bayanin Amsa

(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

Bayanin Amsa

(a) Explanation of Terms used in Nutrition: 

(i) Ration: (I) It is the amount of feed or diet given to an animal in a day/24 hours. 
(2) It could be straight/individual ingredient or mix ration.
(3) It should be in wet or dry form. 
(4) It could be in form of pellets, matched, block etc. 

(ii) Balanced Diet: 
(1) It is the feed that contains all the nutrients in the right proportion. 
(2) It is for growth and production of an animal 
(3) It is the feed that contains all the nutrient requirements of animals/different classes of animals 

(iii) Maintenance Ration: (1) It is the amount of feed that is given to an animal to sustain its live weight. 
(2)The purpose is to reduce the cost of management/feeding. 
(3) To keep the animal alive for the intended purpose/future purpose. 
(4) It is less expensive. 

(iv) Production Ration: (1) It is the amount of feed supplied to an animal to promote growth and production. 
(2) It is excess of maintenance requirement. 
(3) It is more expensive to carry out.

(v) Malnutrition: (1 )It occurs in firm animals when they are fed with in-adequate or excess feed or unbalanced diet. 
(2) It is an unhealthy condition which manifest in farm animals. 
(3) It may result in production losses. 

(b) Uses of Animal Products: (i) Honey: (1) Source of feed for animals/ additives/supplements 
(2) Source of food humans/natural sweetener. 
(3) Used for dressing of wounds/burns. 
(4)Used in brewing honey beers. 
(5) Used in confectionery industry. 
(6) Used as a preservative. 

(ii) Wool: (1) Used for insulation. (2) Used for the manufacture of brushes. 
(3) Used as clothing material/seat covers/unholstery. 
(4) Used in the manufacture of blankets and rugs. (5) Used for decoration/aesthetics. 
(iii) Horn: (1) Used for manufacturing knife handles. (2) Used in the manufacture of fertilizer. (3) Used in the preparation of glues and buttons. (4)Used for aesthetics. (5) Used as music instrument/cultural use. 

(iv) Milk: (1 ) Food for humans. (2) For feeding young livestock. (3) Used for making confectioneries. e.g biscuit, bread , cake. (4) Used in the preparation of dairy products, e.g yogurt, butter, ice cream. 

(v) Egg: (1) It is used as feed for animal/egg shell for calcium. (2) It is used for the manufacture of vaccines/medicinal uses/drugs.

(3) Manufacture of adhesives/paints/power. (4) Food for humans. (5) Used in cosmetics. (6) Used for securing powder.

Bayanin Amsa

(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

Bayanin Amsa

(a) Changes that take place after chopped forage has been compressed and covered in silage preparation: - Oxygen is used up. -Carbon dioxide is increased. -Rise in temperature of ensiled mass. Bacterial ferment carbohydrates to produce lactic acid. -Fruity smell/alcoholic smell/esters produced. -pH is lowered. -Breakdown of fibre due to fermentation. -Gradual compression of ensiling material occurs/reduction in bulkiness. -Colour changes to olive green.

(b) Reasons for carrying out various practices in pasture management: (i) Weeding: - Reduces competition for air, water, nutrients, and space. -For better growth of herbage/good yield. -Get rid of pests. -Get rid of diseases. -Removes poisonous plants/obnoxious weeds. -Minimizes incidence of predators. -Enhances free movement. (ii) Controlled burning: - Kills eggs, and larvae of parasites/kills parasites. -Destroys old herbage/gets rid of old plants/regeneration. -Promotes new growth of pasture grass. -Controls weed. -Controls vermin. -Controls diseases. -Increases mineral content of soil. -Reduces soil acidity. -Controls pests. -Eliminates predators. (iii) Irrigation: - Maintains good growth of herbage. -For good yield/crop productivity. -For all-year-round production of pasture. -Availability of quality pasture. -Reduces dustiness. (iv) Fertilizer application: - For good growth of herbage quality grass and legume. -For high carrying capacity. -For higher yield/higher production. -For increased nutrients of pasture/fertility. -Neutralizes alkalinity. -Organic fertilizers improve soil structure. (v) Liming: - Neutralizes soil acidity/increases soil pH. -Improves soil structure. -Destroys the eggs of liver fluke. -Increases soil nutrients e.g. CaCo3/ fertility.

(c) Functions of phosphorus in animal nutrition: - For bone formation. -For teeth formation. -For eggshell formation. -For acid-base balance. -For the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. -For milk production. -Precursor for protein synthesis.

(d) Parameters of farm animals when the temperature is low.
 

Bayanin Amsa

(a) Differences between the digestive systems of a  goat and a chicken 

(b) Explanation of terms used in animal production 
(i) Rumination 
- Process by which ruminants regurgitate through anti peristaltic movement of fibrous feed, re-chew and reswallow the food into the reticulum. 
- The process of chewing of cud 
- It reduces the particle size of digesta for microbial  action. 
- It takes place when animal  is resting. 
(ii) Coprophagy 
- process by which some animals like rabbit 
reingest their faeces 
- It helps the animal recover microbial protein and  minerals lost from the caecum.

(c) Reason for carrying out the following practices 
(i) Creep feeding 
- to supplement the milk of young livestock 
to introduce young livestock to solid feed 
weaning 
- to facilitate early weaning 
(ii) Steaming up 
- For development of udder and milk synthesis 
- It gives pregnant animals strength for parturition. 
- It gives the foetus the right birth weight/condition. 
- It enhances the fetal immunity reduction of 
foetal/offspring mortality. 
- It promotes maximum milk production. 
(iii) Flushing 
- To increase the chance of conception/ ovulation 
- To increase the incidence or multiple birth 
(d) (i) Importance of rangelands 
- Ensure all season feeding of livestock 
- Provide material [Or forage preservation/hay/silage 
- Serve as areas for livestock to exercise their 
body 
- Help to reduce soil erosion 
- They facilitate pasture mating 
- Reduce cost of for grazing animals 
- Provide soilage for feeding livestock 
- Serve as forage bank for establishment of pasture 
- Provision of gras% and legume 
(ii) Practices that improve pasture 
- Reseeding/ replanting 
- Controlled burning 
- Fencing/ paddocking/controlled grazing 
- Use of Manure / Fertiliser 
- Weed control 
- Irrigation 
- Disease control 
- Correct stocking rate 
- Pest control 
- Ploughing/pulverisation 
- Planting of resistance varieties of forage 
- Erosion control 
- Planting of grass- legume mixture 
- Liming