Theory question 105
Animal Health(a) Complete the table below on diseases of farm animals: for Brucellosis and Aspergillosis, give the causal organism (i), (v); farm animal affected (ii), (vi); symptom (iii), (vii); and control (iv), (viii).
(b) State five advantages of the battery cage system in poultry production.
(c) Give five reasons why some agricultural extension programmes are not successful in West Africa.
Show the model answer
(a) Brucellosis: (i) bacterium (Brucella abortus/melitensis); (ii) cattle, goats, sheep, pigs; (iii) abortion in late pregnancy, retained placenta, infertility, swollen testes; (iv) vaccination, test and slaughter infected animals, hygiene, burn aborted foetuses.
Aspergillosis: (v) fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus); (vi) poultry (chicks); (vii) gasping/difficult breathing, loss of appetite, drowsiness, death; (viii) keep litter and feed dry and free of mould, good ventilation, disinfect incubators and houses, use fungicides/antifungal drugs.
(b) Any five: more birds per unit space; easy to collect clean eggs; less egg breakage/eating; easy to detect and cull poor layers; less disease and parasite spread; easy feeding and watering, less feed waste; no litter needed; easy record keeping.
(c) Any five: too few, poorly trained or poorly motivated extension staff; poor transport; illiteracy/conservatism of farmers; inputs not available or too costly; poor link between research and extension; language barriers; inadequate funding; innovations not suited to farmers' conditions.
Name the organism type (bacterium or fungus).