QUESTION 2
(a) (i) Explain the term malnutrition as used in Animal Husbandry. [2 marks]
(ii) If 10,000 layers were fed with diet containing 60% maize, 5% fishmeal,
28% groundnut cake and 1.5% oyster shell, name the limiting ingredients that
are not included in the diet. [4 marks]
(iii) State two importance of each of the nutrients named in 2(a)(ii). [8 marks]
(b) Give two reasons why a poultry farmer should keep farm records. [2 marks]
(c) State four ways in which liver fluke could be prevented from completing
Observation
Question 2 was not very popular among candidates and many of them who attempted this question recorded poor marks.
- Many candidates had difficulty mentioning the limiting ingredients in the given
diet for poultry. They mentioned feed nutrients like fats and oil, minerals etc.
- Very few candidates were able to state the measures that could be taken to prevent
liver fluke from completing its life cycle.
The expected answers include:
The expected answers include:
(a) (i) Explanation of malnutrition in animal husbandry
- Malnutrition is a condition caused by feeding animals with a diet which is deficient in essential nutrients
- It is a condition resulting from feeding animals with a diet in excess of essential nutrients
- It could also occur when an animal cannot utilize nutrients in feed given, due to ill-health, stress or other factors
- It could occur when the right quantity of feed is not given to the animal
- Nutrients in the feed are not in the right proportions
(ii) Limiting ingredients that are not included in the diet
- Fibre source e.g. Wheat offal, rice bran, maize offal, PKC
- Mineral-vitamin premix
- Common salt/table salt
- Toxin binder/detoxifier
- Vegetable oil/palm oil
(iii) Importance of limiting ingredients
Fibre
- Adds bulk to the feed
- Improves bowel movement
- Improves digestibility
- Reduces incidence of diarrhoea in farm animals
Mineral-vitamin premix
- Useful in egg formation
- Used in bone formation
- Improves immunity against diseases
- Aids proper absorption of nutrients
Common salt
- Improves palatability
- Promotes activities of enzymes
- Supplies sodium and chlorine to the animal
- Increases feed intake
- Improves water intake
- Reduce dustiness of feed
- Improve palatability/acceptability
- Improve energy content of feed
- Improve carotene or vitamin A content of feed
- Shows the financial position of the farm
- Enables the farmer to know all the activities carried out on the farm
- For taking management decisions/planning
- For estimating annual tax
- Necessary in obtaining loans
- Helps to detect fraudulent practices on the farm
- Enables the farmer to detect changes in prices
- Used for computing farmers’ net worth/ farm inventory
- Serves as a requirement to receive awards/laurels
- Aids appropriate budgeting
- For purpose of auditing
- To assess productivity
- Periodic burning of pasture
- Use of clean, uncontaminated water
- Use of lime to prevent eggs from hatching/liming
- Elimination of water snails by introducing ducks
- Control of weeds in ponds and riversides
- Avoid grazing animals on marshy areas
- Ensure proper drainage of pasture land
Vegetable oil/palm oil
Toxin binder/detoxifier
- Binds toxin in feed
- Growth promoter
- Builds immunity
- Traps fungal pathogens
(b) Reasons for keeping farm records by a poultry farmer
(c) Ways of preventing liver fluke from completing its life cycle