Theory question 103
Parasites of Farm Animals(a) Mention four parasites of farm animals. (b) Enumerate five ways in which the keeping of ruminants is important to the economy of your country. (c) List five management practices undertaken in cattle production. (d) State two ways in which each of the following management practices is important: (i) brooding; (ii) debeaking; (iii) culling.
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(a) Any four: tapeworm; roundworm; liver fluke; tick; lice; mite; flea; trypanosome; coccidia
(b) Any five: source of meat and milk (protein); source of income and employment; hides and skins for leather industries; manure for crops; draught power/transport; foreign exchange from export of products; by-products such as bone meal, horns; cultural and religious uses (festivals, bride price)
(c) Any five: feeding/grazing; supply of water; castration; dehorning; identification (branding, ear tagging); deworming and dipping; vaccination; record keeping; weaning; culling; housing and sanitation
(d)(i) Brooding: keeps chicks warm since they cannot control body temperature; reduces chick deaths; makes feed and water easy to reach so chicks grow well
(ii) Debeaking: prevents cannibalism and feather pecking; reduces egg eating; reduces feed wastage
(iii) Culling: removes unproductive, old or sick animals; saves feed and space; improves overall productivity and quality of the flock/herd; reduces spread of disease
Give two separate reasons for each practice in (d).