This question was poorly attempted by the candidates. Virtually all the candidates
that answered this question could not discuss the effects of temperature on:
brooding of chicks; reproduction in livestock; milk production and egg production. The expected answers include:
Effect of temperature on:
Brooding of chicks:
- Temperature range of 35o – 39oC provide warmth for the chicks
- Temperature range of 35o – 39oC leads to proper development
- Moderate temperature makes them to spread evenly and feed well
- High temperature makes chicks to pant and move away and sit with
their mouth open
- Low temperature leads to hurdling together which may lead to suffocation
and death
- High temperature leads to poor feather development
- High temperature leads to pecking
- Greater susceptibility to diseases at both high and low temperature conditions
- Both high and low temperatures lead to retarded grow
- Both high and low temperatures lead to poor feed efficiency/utilization
Reproduction in livestock:
- High temperature/heat stress causes abortion in farm animals
- High temperature leads to low rate of conception
- High temperature decreases ovulation leading to low reproductive capacity
- Egg production is drastically reduced at extremes of temperature
- High temperature reduces spermatogenesis of male animals
- High temperature can reduce the secretion of sexual hormones in farm animals
- High temperature can reduce sexual activities in farm animals
Milk production:
- Milk spoilage occurs at a temperature of 37oC
- Pathogenic bacteria in milk are destroyed when milk is subject to a high temperature of about 74oC (pasteurization)
- High temperature causes heat stress thus reducing milk production
- Extremes of temperature does not favour growth of grasses leading to low feed intake and less milk production
- Physiological processes are retarded at extreme of temperatures
Egg production:
- High intensity of radiation causes heat stress thus reducing the egg production
- Low temperature leads to decrease in feed efficiency leading to a low egg production and decrease in egg quality
- At high temperature, feed intake decreases leading to low egg production
- At high temperature, fertility and hatchability in breeder birds decrease
Extreme temperature leads to decrease in egg quality 
