Observation

Question 5 was the most popular question among the candidates and performance was excellent. However, few candidates were unable to give reasons for keeping records in poultry as well as the damages caused by rats in a deep litter house.

The expected answers include:

(a)        Internal organs found in each region of farm animals

• Thoracic region

-    Heart                                              -    Trachea
-    Lungs                                             -    Diaphragm
-    Oesophagus/gullet/throat

• Abdominal region

-    Liver                                  -    Stomach                             -    Kidney
-    Fallopian tube                    -    Spleen                                -    Pancreas
-    Large Intestine                  -    Small intestine                   -    Ureter
-    Uterus                                -    Ovary                                 -    Gall bladder

 (b)       (i)         Records that could be kept by a poultry farmer
-    Production record                                      -    Inventory record
-    Purchase record                                         -    Input record
-    Sales record⁄ marketing record                  -    Labour record
-    Income and expenditure record                 -    Farm diary
-    Health records⁄ drug regime record           -    Mortality record
-    Routine management record

• Reasons for keeping records in poultry production
• Enables farmer to detect changes in price of produce
• Shows the financial position of the farm
• Helps to know all activities carried out on the farm
• For taking management decision
• For taxation purposes
• For procuring loan
• To detect fraudulent practices on the farm
• For computing farmer’s net worth
• For budgeting
• To assess production performance

 (c)       (i)         Damages that could be caused by rats in a deep litter house
-    Acts as vectors of diseases                                    -    Compete with birds for feed
-    Contaminate feed                                      -    Waste feed
-    Can kill the birds                                       -    Destroy poultry equipment
-    Destroy poultry house                               -    Contaminate water
-    Waste water                                               -    Compete with birds for water
-    Cause panic⁄ scare/stampede
                                                                                                                       

• Ways of controlling rats on animal farm

-    Clear bush around the farm                       -     Fencing
-    Trapping with baits⁄ glue board                 -     Use rodenticides
-    Use of predators e.g. cat                            -     Sealing off all holes