45 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Piglets should be given iron dextran injection in order to prevent
Answer: A (anaemia.)
Sow's milk has little iron, so piglets are injected with iron to prevent anaemia.
Common diseases of rabbits and poultry are: I. newcastle; II. coccidiosis; III. brucellosis.
Answer: A (I and II only)
Newcastle disease is a major poultry disease and coccidiosis attacks both rabbits and poultry; brucellosis is a disease of cattle, goats and pigs.
The breeding system widely used in West Africa to improve productive performance of indigenous goat breeds is
Answer: D (cross breeding.)
Crossing local goats with improved breeds quickly raises growth and milk yield.
A major factor to be considered when practising rotational grazing is the
Answer: A (stocking density)
The number of animals per paddock decides how long each paddock can be grazed before it is moved.
Using a mating ratio of 1:5, determine the number of bucks required to mate 300 does.
Answer: B (60)
One buck serves 5 does, so 300 ÷ 5 = 60 bucks.
Genes for inherited traits in farm animals could be
Answer: C (dominant or recessive)
A gene (allele) is either dominant or recessive.
Which of the following feedstuffs is rich in calcium?
Answer: D (Oyster shell)
Oyster shell is almost pure calcium carbonate.
In farm animals, insulin is produced in the
Answer: B (pancreas)
Insulin comes from the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.
An example of a viral disease in chickens is
Answer: B (fowl pox)
Fowl pox is viral; aspergillosis is fungal, coccidiosis protozoan and fowl cholera bacterial.
Farm animals utilize proteins in the form of
Answer: C (amino acids)
Proteins are digested into amino acids, which are absorbed and used.
If the respiratory rate per minute of a pig is 16, how many counts would there be in 1 hour 20 minutes?
Answer: C (1280)
1 hour 20 minutes = 80 minutes; 16 × 80 = 1,280.
Use the information above to answer the question.
In a poultry farm, 2500 birds were laying an average of 1790 eggs per day.
Determine the percentage of birds that were not laying
Answer: A (28.4%)
Laying = 1790/2500 × 100 = 71.6%, so not laying = 100 − 71.6 = 28.4%.
Use the information above to answer the question.
In a poultry farm, 2500 birds were laying an average of 1790 eggs per day.
How many crates of eggs would be collected in one week?
Answer: C (418)
Eggs per week = 1790 × 7 = 12,530; one crate holds 30, so 12,530 ÷ 30 ≈ 418 crates.
An external feature of a duck is the
Answer: B (hock)
The hock (leg joint) is on the outside; the gizzard, crop and liver are internal.
In sheep, the allele for possession of horns, W, is dominant over the allele for polled, w. Which of the following pairs of alleles represents a polled sheep?
Answer: D (ww)
A recessive trait shows only when both alleles are recessive, so a polled sheep is ww.
The diagram below illustrates the partitioning of a pasture into paddocks.
The system of allowing farm animals to graze each paddock in a definite sequence is termed
Answer: D (rotational grazing.)
Moving animals from paddock to paddock in turn is rotational grazing.
The diagram below illustrates the partitioning of a pasture into paddocks.
Which of the following animals is best raised in the illustrated paddocks?
Answer: D (Sheep)
Paddocks are fenced grazing units, best suited to grazing ruminants such as sheep.
Excessive heat in a brooder house results in chicks
Answer: C (moving to the edges of the brooder house)
Chicks that are too hot move away from the heat to the edges and pant; huddling shows they are cold.
Feeding of fresh forages to animals confined to their pens is known as
Answer: C (zero grazing)
In zero grazing, forage is cut and carried to housed animals.
The diagram below illustrates a parasite of livestock.
The illustrated parasite is known as
Answer: C (roundworm)
The long, smooth, unsegmented worm tapering at both ends is a roundworm.
The diagram below illustrates a parasite of livestock.
Which of the following effects of the illustrated parasite could lead to death of infested livestock? I. Perforation of internal organs II. Laying of eggs in the intestines III. Blockage of the small intestines
Answer: B (I and III only)
Masses of roundworms can block the intestine, and migrating larvae can damage or perforate organs; laying eggs does not kill.
If the sex ratio of male to female kits in a litter is 3:1, determine the percentage of males in the litter.
Answer: D (75%)
Males are 3 out of 4 parts: 3/4 × 100 = 75%.
Cannibalism in poultry could occur as a result of I. vaginal prolapse; II. nutrient deficiency; III. feeding.
Answer: D (I,II and III)
A prolapsed vent attracts pecking, protein or salt shortage causes feather pecking, and poor feeding (too little feed or feeder space) increases it.
Which of the following parts of chicken has the highest meat content?
Answer: C (Breast)
The breast muscles are the largest block of meat on a chicken.
Which of the following farm animals exhibits the listed characteristics? I. Hardy II. Utilize low quality feeds efficiently III. Forage mainly by browsing
Answer: C (Goat)
Goats are hardy, make good use of poor feed and prefer browsing shrubs and leaves.
Use this information to answer the question.
A farmer rears cows on a pasture measuring 100m by 100m. If each cow requires a space of 2m by 5m.
The expected population of cows on this pasture is
Answer: D (1,000)
Area = 100 × 100 = 10,000 m²; space per cow = 2 × 5 = 10 m²; 10,000 ÷ 10 = 1,000 cows.
Use this information to answer the question.
A farmer rears cows on a pasture measuring 100m by 100m. If each cow requires a space of 2m by 5m.
If the mortality rate is 5%, how many cows would remain on the pasture?
Answer: D (950)
5% of 1,000 = 50 die, so 1,000 − 50 = 950 remain.
Which of the following feedstuffs supply the greatest amount of energy?
Answer: A (Cassava tubers)
Cassava is mostly starch, an energy feed; the cakes are protein feeds and wheat offal is fibrous.
Materials for making silage are compressed firmly in the silage pit in order to
Answer: D (remove air which causes spoilage)
Pressing out air allows anaerobic fermentation and stops moulds that spoil silage.
Egg formation in poultry is completed in
Answer: C (24-26 hours)
An egg takes about 24–26 hours to pass down the oviduct.
During gestation, the embryo obtains nutrients from the dam through the
Answer: D (umbilical cord.)
Nutrients pass from the placenta to the foetus through blood vessels in the umbilical cord.
The diagram below illustrates a disease condition in poultry.
The disease illustrated is caused by
Answer: A (mites)
Raised, crusty scales on the shank are scaly leg, caused by burrowing mites.
The diagram below illustrates a disease condition in poultry.
The disease illustrated is best treated by applying I. insecticides; II. antibiotics III. disinfectants.
Answer: B (I and III only)
Mites are killed with insecticide/acaricide, and the house is disinfected; antibiotics do not kill mites.
Biofuel could be generated commercially from farm animals'
Answer: D (manure)
Manure is fermented in digesters to give biogas.
In sheep, regulation of internal body heat is carried out by the
Answer: D (circulatory system.)
Blood carries heat around the body and to the skin, where it is lost.
The diagram below illustrates a type of poultry.
A management practice that could be carried out on the part labelled I is
Answer: B (desnooding)
The fleshy growth on a turkey's head is the snood; removing it (desnooding) prevents injury from pecking.
The diagram below illustrates a type of poultry.
A disease that could affect the part labelled I is
Answer: C (fowl pox)
Fowl pox causes scabs on the bare skin of the head, snood and wattles.
Semen used for artificial insemination is usually preserved in
Answer: B (liquid nitrogen)
Semen is frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen.
The hormones associated with parturition are
Answer: C (oxytocin and relaxin.)
Oxytocin makes the uterus contract and relaxin loosens the birth canal.
(a) (i) Explain the term oestrus synchronization as used in artificial insemination. (ii) Name four tools that could be used during the process of artificial insemination. (b) Explain each of the following livestock management practices: (i) vaccination; (ii) feeding ad libitum. (c) Mention one processing technique which could be carried out during each of the following activities in the processing of poultry: (i) pre-slaughtering; (ii) post-slaughtering. (d) Complete the table below.
Common name of animal | young | Weaning period (weeks)
Rabbit | (i) | 4-6
(ii) | Lamb | (iii)
Goat | (iv) | (v)
Cattle | (vi) | 24-30
Pig | (vii) | (viii)
(a)(i) Oestrus synchronization: using hormones (e.g. prostaglandin, progesterone) to bring a group of females on heat at the same time so they can be inseminated together
(ii) Any four: artificial vagina; insemination gun/pipette/catheter; speculum; straws; liquid nitrogen flask; thawing bath/thermometer; microscope; gloves
(b)(i) Vaccination: giving a vaccine (weakened or killed germs) to healthy animals so they build immunity against a disease
(ii) Feeding ad libitum: making feed (and water) available to animals all the time so they eat as much as they want
(c)(i) Pre-slaughtering, any one: starving/fasting; ante-mortem inspection; weighing; resting (ii) Post-slaughtering, any one: bleeding; scalding; defeathering; evisceration; washing; chilling; packaging
(d) (i) kit/kitten; (ii) sheep; (iii) about 8–16 weeks; (iv) kid; (v) about 8–16 weeks; (vi) calf; (vii) piglet; (viii) about 3–8 weeks
Weaning periods may be given as a range.
(a) Explain each of the following terms as used in animal reproduction: (i) ovulation; (ii) oestrus cycle; (iii) heat period; (iv) parturition. (b) Mention five signs which would be observed in sheep when approaching parturition. (c) Name five components of incubator in poultry production. (d) Name two endoparasites of farm animals.
(a)(i) Ovulation: release of a mature egg from the ovary
(ii) Oestrus cycle: the regular interval from one heat period to the next (e.g. about 17 days in ewes, 21 days in cows)
(iii) Heat period: the short time within the cycle when the female is willing to accept the male
(iv) Parturition: the act of giving birth at the end of pregnancy
(b) Any five: restlessness; swollen, reddened vulva; mucus discharge; enlarged udder and teats filled with milk; sinking of the area around the tail head; isolation from the flock; frequent lying down and getting up; loss of appetite; pawing the ground
(c) Any five: heat source/heater; thermostat; thermometer; hygrometer/water tray for humidity; egg trays; egg-turning device; fan/ventilation holes; insulated cabinet; observation window
(d) Any two: tapeworm; roundworm; liver fluke; hookworm; coccidia
Short definitions for (a).
(a) Outline six steps involved in the preparation of silage. (b) Name the part in the reproductive tract of poultry where each of the following activities takes place: (i) formation of yolk; (ii) fertilization of egg; (iii) formation of albumen; (iv) formation of shell; (v) formation of shell membrane; (c) State four effects of overstocking of farm animals. (d) Name two forms in which concentrates could be fed to farm animals. (e) Mention three causes of dystocia in livestock.
(a) Dig/clean the silo or pit; cut forage at the flowering stage; wilt slightly and chop into small pieces; fill the pit in layers, adding molasses if needed; compress each layer firmly to remove air; cover with polythene and soil to make airtight; leave to ferment for about 3–6 weeks before feeding
(b)(i) Ovary (ii) Infundibulum (iii) Magnum (iv) Uterus/shell gland (v) Isthmus
(c) Any four: overgrazing and pasture damage; competition for feed and water; poor growth and production; fighting and injuries; faster spread of diseases and parasites; soil erosion; stress; high mortality
(d) Any two: mash; pellets; crumbles; cubes/blocks
(e) Any three: oversized foetus; wrong presentation of the foetus; narrow pelvis or immature dam; weak uterine contractions; twins; over-fat dam
List the silage steps in order.
(a) A piece of land measuring 200m by 150m is to be used to establish a pasture of Pancium maximum. What would be the plant population if the spacing is 50cm by 50cm and the expected germination percentage is 70? (b) Mention four marketing agents invloved in the distribution of milk. (c) State five causes of low production of ruminants in West Africa. (d) (i) Explain the term fodder crop. (ii) Give three examples of fodder crops.
(a) Area = 200 × 150 = 30,000 m²; space per plant = 0.5 × 0.5 = 0.25 m²; plants = 30,000 ÷ 0.25 = 120,000; at 70% germination: 0.7 × 120,000 = 84,000 plants
(b) Any four: producer/dairy farmer; collector/assembler; processor (dairy company); wholesaler; retailer; cooperative society; transporter
(c) Any five: poor local breeds; poor nutrition, especially in the dry season; diseases and parasites (e.g. trypanosomiasis); poor management/extensive system; lack of capital and credit; inadequate veterinary services; land tenure problems; high cost of feed; farmer-herder conflicts; poor marketing
(d)(i) Fodder crop: a crop grown to be cut and carried to animals as fresh feed or conserved as hay or silage
(ii) Any three: elephant grass; Guinea grass; maize/sorghum (for silage); Leucaena; Gliricidia; Centrosema; cowpea
Show each step of the calculation in (a).
(a) Explain each of the following terms as used in livestock production: (i) quarantine; (ii) immunity; (iii) zoonotic disease. (b) State four ways in which liver fluke is of economic importance in livestock production. (c) State three control measures of lice in farm animals. (d) (i) Name three members of the bee colony. (ii) List four equipment used in bee keeping.
(a)(i) Quarantine: keeping newly bought or imported animals apart for a period to check that they do not carry disease
(ii) Immunity: the ability of an animal's body to resist a particular disease
(iii) Zoonotic disease: an animal disease that can be passed to humans, e.g. rabies, anthrax, tuberculosis
(b) Any four: damages the liver, which is condemned at slaughter; causes anaemia, weight loss and poor growth; lowers milk and wool yield; causes death (liver rot); increases cost of treatment; lowers fertility
(c) Any three: dipping or spraying with insecticide; dusting; clipping/shearing; good sanitation of houses; isolating infested animals; avoiding overcrowding
(d)(i) Queen; drone; worker
(ii) Any four: hive; smoker; veil/bee suit; gloves; hive tool; bee brush; honey extractor; queen excluder
One-sentence definitions in (a).
(a) State four functions of blood in sheep. (b) (i) What are pseudoruminants? (ii) Give two examples of pseudoruminants. (c) Give three activities that should be carried out to ensure the survival of a newborn lamb. (d) Name three organs associated with the circulatory system of a goat.
(a) Any four: carries oxygen and carbon dioxide; carries digested food to the cells; carries wastes to the excretory organs; carries hormones; distributes heat/regulates temperature; fights infection (white cells, antibodies); clots to stop bleeding
(b)(i) Pseudoruminants are herbivores that have a simple stomach but digest fibre with the help of microbes in a large caecum (or a three-chambered stomach), without true rumination
(ii) Any two: horse; rabbit; donkey; guinea pig; camel (three-chambered stomach)
(c) Any three: clear mucus from the nose and mouth so it can breathe; cut, tie and disinfect the navel; make sure it sucks colostrum early; keep it warm and dry; allow the ewe to lick it; foster it if the ewe rejects it
(d) Any three: heart; arteries; veins; capillaries; blood; spleen
Give short, distinct points.