WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2024 (Essay)

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) 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.
 

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(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.

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(a) Ways of controlling diseases in sheep production -Isolation of affected sheep. - Treatment of affected sheep. - Follow the required vaccination regimes regularly. -Quarantine new stocks before they are introduced on the farm. - Ensure proper sanitary/hygienic conditions on the farm. -Ensure proper biosecurity/provision of footbath. -Avoid the flock straying away from the farm or mixing up with the flock from other farms. -Avoid stray animals on the farm. – Restrict a number of visitors on the farm. -Dispose of dead animals/carcasses properly. - Avoid overcrowding in pens. - Provide clean and adequate water regularly. - Discard leftover/ contaminated feed properly. - Provide good housing. - Proper feeding. -Discard leftover water properly.

(b). Ways of improvising decreased feed intake of the flock sheep. - Provision of a balanced diet. - Regular disease control. -Regular pest control. - Provision of clean and adequate water. - Provide acceptable feed (feedstuff). Supply of salt/mineral needs. Controlled stocking. - Adequate sanitation. - Use of feed additives. Ensure adequate ventilation. - Increase vitamin content in the diet/water. -Allow enough space for exercise. -Deworming. -Offer varieties of feed.

(c). Explanation of method of Animal Improvement i. Introduction: This involves bringing breeds of animals with superior and desirable characters (traits) from another farm into the farmer's farm. ii. Selection: This involves the deliberate choosing of animals with superior traits from a mixed population, for breeding. iii. Breeding: Breeding involves the transfer of desirable traits to offspring through mating of animals or other breeding methods.

(d). Aims of animal improvement - High reproductive efficiency. productivity/high yield.- Good mothering ability. - Cool temperament/ ease of handling. – High libido. - Resistance to pests. - Resistance to diseases. - High adaptability/adaptation to harsh environmental conditions. Improved quality of produce, - Improved growth rate, and early maturity. - Produce animals with high feed conversion efficiency

Bayanin Amsa

a(i). Explanation of malnutrition in animal husbandry. - Malnutrition is a condition caused by feeding animals a diet that is deficient in essential nutrients, -It is a condition resulting from feeding animals with a diet in excess of essential nutrients. - It could also occur when an animal cannot utilize nutrients in feed given, due to ill health, stress, or other factors, – It could occur when the right quantity of feed is not given to the animal. -Nutrients in the feed are not in the right proportions. (ii). Limiting ingredients that are not included in the diet. -Fibre source c.g. wheat offal, rice bran, maize offal, PKC. - Mineral- vitamin premix. -Common salt/table salt. -Toxin binder/detoxifier. - Vegetable oil/ palm oil- (iii). Importance of limiting ingredients - Fibre - Adds bulk to the feed. - Improves bowel movement. - Improves digestibility. - Reduces incidence of diarrhea in farm animals. -Minerals vitamin premix. -Useful in egg formation. - Improves immunity against disease. – Aids proper absorption of nutrients. – Used in bone formation -Common Salt- Improves palatability. - Promotes activities of enzymes. Supplies sodium and chlorine to the animal. -Increases feed intake. - Improves water intake. - Vegetable Oil/Palm oil -Reduce dustiness of feed. - Improve palatability/acceptability. Improve energy content of the feed.- Improve carotene or vitamin A content of feed. -Toxin Binder/detoxifier - Binds toxin in feed/ - Growth promoter. - Builds immunity. – Traps fungal pathogens.

b.Reasons for keeping farm records by a poultry farmer. - Shows the financial position of the farm. - Enables the farmer to know all the activities carried out on the farm. -For taking management decisions/planning. - For estimating annual tax. – Necessary in obtaining loans. - Helps to detect fraudulent practices on the farm. - Enables the farmer to detect changes in prices. – Used for computing farmer's net worth/farm inventory. - Serves as a requirement to receive awards/levies. -Aids appropriate budgeting. – For purpose of auditing. To assess productivity.

c.Ways of preventing liver fluke from completing its life cycle. - Periodic burning of pasture. - Use of clean, uncontaminated water. -Use of lime to prevent eggs from hatching/liming. Elimination of water snails by introducing docks, -Controls of weeds in ponds and riversides, - Avoid grazing animals on marshy areas. Ensure proper drainage of pasture lands.

Bayanin Amsa

(a) Completion of Table on Forage:

(i) Elephant grass
(ii) Calopo/calopogomium
(iii) Legume
(iv) Stylosanthesgracilis/guinansis/hamata/humilis/scabia
(v) Legume
(vi) Guinea grass
(vi) Grass
(viii) Macuna

(b)(i) Definition of pasture: A piece of land on which grass and/ or legumes/herbage species are naturally found or deliberately grown for feeding livestock.

(ii) Importance of grass-legume mixture in livestock production:

- Provide a variety of forage.

- Provides high nutrient content balanced diet.

- Conserves soil water/ reduces evaporation.

- Grass improves soil structure.

- Control erosion.

- Yield of pasture is improved.

- Legumes supply nitrogen to the soil, thus enriching it.

- lncreases the energy level for livestock/food.

- Suppresses the growth of weeds.

- Forage combination is more acceptable to animals.

- Improves the nutrient level of forage.

(c) Characteristics of rangeland;

- Contains a variety of forage.

- Provides shade for animals.

- Can withstand trampling by farm animals

- High regenerative ability.

- Produces high yield of forage crops if properly managed.

- Habours disease

- Labour

- Labours pests.

- Extensive area of land for grazing/high density.

- Produces abundant seeds

- Prone frequent tire outbreak.

- Low nutritive value.