WAEC SSCE - Animal Husbandry - 2025 (Essay)

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(a)  Explanation of the term malnutrition in farm animals;
A state caused by feeding farm animals with inadequate or excess/imbalance nutrients
                                                         OR

It may also occur when an animal is unable to use available nutrients due to ill health or there is an imbalance in the nutrients
                                                          OR

Feeding animals with diets that do not contain all necessary nutrients in the right proportion

(b) Difference between maintenance and production rations;

• Maintenance ration is given to farm animals just sufficient/enough to maintain/sustain the basic/basal metabolic functions of the body
•                                                 OR
• The type of ration given to a farm animal to maintain a constant live weight
• while/but/on the other hand/whereas         
• Production ration is given to farm animals to enable them produce either egg, meat, milk, offspring, hair/fur/wool/work
• The amount of feed given to a growing, working or producing animal over/above its maintenance needs.

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(a) Causes of low egg production in chicken: 
(i) Age of birds/moulting (ii) Incidence of diseases (iii) Pest infestation 
(iv) Unfavourable weather/photoperiodism (v) Poor housing/ ventilation 
(vi) Poor feeding/malnutrition/ tinder nutrition/inadequate feeding (vii) Types of breed (viii) Broodiness (ix) Poor/inadequate water supply/in-take
(x) Poor illumination
(xi) Incidence of predators (xii) Poor sanitation/hygiene (xiii) Noise pollution. 

(b) Parts of the digestive system of pigs: (i) Mouth/ teeth/tongue/salivary gland (ii) Gullet/oesophagus/throat/ gut/ food pipe (iii) Stomach (iv) Liver (v) Pancreas (vi) Gall bladder/bile duct
(vii) Small intestine/duodenum/Jejunum/ileum (vii) Large intestines/caecum/colon/rectum (viii)Anus 

(c) Importance of cattle production! (i) Source of meat/protein (ii) Source of milk (iii) used on farms for traction/work power 
(iv) Source of employment (v) Source of income/investment (vi) For social and cultural purposes 
(vii) Skin for producing leather/raw materials for industry (viii) Source of organic manure 
(ix) Transportation/beast of burden (x) Source of animal feed (blood meal, bone meal 
(xi)Source of foreign exchange (xii) Education/research (xiii) Exhibition/livestock shows 
(xiv) Aesthetic/decoration materials, e.g horn, hoof, teeth, tail. 

(d) Uses of poultry eggs: (i) Eaten as food by humans/source of protein in human diets (ii) Sources of income to farmers 
(iii) Raw material for industries/ confectioneries/preservatives/vaccine/medical products 
(iv) Could be a source of foreign exchange 
(v) Used for research/education (vii) For cultural/religious/purposes of feed/protein or minerals for  (viii) animals (ix) Exhibition/egg show.

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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) Agents involved in the marketing of animal products

- Media/advertiser

- Producer

- Wholesaler

- Importers

- Co-operative society 

- Middlemen

- Exporter

- Marketing boards/commodity boards

- Retailers

- Processor

- Transporter

(b) (i) Definition of pasteurization 

- This is the process of heating milk at a specific temperature for a specific period of time to make it wholesome for human consumption. 

(ii) Imoprtance of pasteurisation of milk. 

- it reduces contamination by harmful micro organisms in milk. 

- It slows down the process of spoilage

- it improves the quality of milk 

- it improves the shelf life of milk/preservation.

(iii) Milk products
- Powerded milk
- Butter
- Yogurt 
- Whey 
- Condensed milk 
(c) Factors affecting the yield of milk in cows 
- Pest infestation 
- Physiological state of the anilnal 
- Age of the animal 
- Health of the anilnal/ illness 
Digestive disorder 
- Climatic/ weather conditions/ environment 
- Method of collection/milking 
- Disease 
- Frequency of feeding 
- Nutrition of the animal/ inadequate feeding 
- Breed of animal 
- Excitement/agitation/ stress 
- Length of lactation period 
- Water availability 
- Hormonal imbalance/inability to secrete 
oxytocin

(d)(i) Reasons for starving an animal before  slaughtering
- Reduces contamination of meat with digesta/ faeces 
- Promotes easy cheesing/correct dressing percentage 
- Promotes meat tenderness 
(ii) Pre-slaughtering activities 
Cleaning/sanitation 
- Starving/fasting 
- Weighing of animals 
- Restraining 
- Provision of water for the animals to drink 
- Assembling of slaughtering tools 
- Inspection/pre-mortem  

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(a)Digestion in farm animals: Digestion is the process of breaking down ingested feed into smaller substances/absorbable by cells of the animal. 

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

(c) Methods of improving rangeland: (I) Irrigation (ii) Controlled burning (iii) Zero grazing/cut and carry system 
(iv) Reseeding/rehabilitation/planting of cover crops (v) Controlled stocking (vi) Application of fertilizers (vii) Rotational grazing/avoidance of overgrazing/ padlocking
(viii) Pest control (ix) Diseases control (x) Weeding/rouging (xi) Erosion control 

(d) End product of digestion: (i) Carbohydrate -Glucose (ii) Protein - Amino Acids (iii) Fat and oil -fatty acids and glycerol 
(e) Functions of proteins in farm animals: (i) Growth (ii) It aids blood formation (iii) Repair of worn out tissues/deteriorating cells 
(iv) Synthesis of enzymes (v) Production of antibodies/pro-vision of immunity (vi) Synthesis of hormones 
(vii) Syn-thesis of pigments (viii) Milk production (ix) Egg production. 

(f) Digestive enzymes in the small intestine of a pig: (i) Trypsin (ii) Amylase (iii) Lipase (iv) Peptidase/erepsin (v) Sucrase 
(vi) Lactase (vii) Maltase 
 

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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.