(a) Define the term animal improvement.
(b) (i) Explain the term introduction as used in animal improvement. (ii) State three advantages and three disadvantages of introduction as a method of animal improvement
(c)(i) Define the term progeny selection (ii) State five desirable characteristics that could be used in selecting animals used for improvement.
(d) State three advantages of artificial insemination.
Explanation
(a) Definition of animal improvement: Refers to techniques used in developing and breeding animals with greatest merit/better characters over the existing ones OR Refers to the process of transferring superior characters from one domesticated animal to another of the same species.
(b) (i) Explanation of the term introduction: It is the process of bringing an animal with high quality into a farm/country/environment.
(ii) Advantages of introduction: (1) Increases population of desirable breed (2) Genetic diversity of animals is increased
(3) Introduced breed can bring about rapid improvement of local breed (4) Breeds better than the local breeds are obtained/high productivity.
(iii) Disadvantages of introduction:
(1) New diseases could be introduced
(2) New pests/parasites could be introduced
(3) New animal may be susceptible to local
(4) Could lead to loss of indigenous breed
(5) Hidden undesirable trait may manifest
(6) Animal may not perform optimally if it does not adapt to the new environment.
(c) (i) Definition of progeny selection: It is the choosing/selecting an animal based on the performance of the offspring for breed purpose. (ii) Desirable characteristics for selecting animals for improvement: (i) Body conformation (ii) Yield/Productivity, e.g milk yield, egg laying (iii) Quality of product (iv) Resistance to diseases (v) Resistance to pest (vi) Feed conversion ability ratio
(vii) Growth rate (viii) Fertility (ix) Birth weight
(x) Lilter size/high fecundity/proliferacy (xi)Adaptation to the environment (xii ) Coat/feather colour (xiii) Early
maturity/puberty.
(d) Advantages of artificial insemination: (i) Makes it possible for more than one animal to conceive from one ejaculation
(ii) Cost of rearing/ maintaining a proven bull is reduced/eliminated/less
expensive than natural mating/few bulls are kept.(iii) Reduces the spread of venereal diseases
(iv) It is possible to use the semen of a proven bull long after it is dead (v) Indiscriminate mating is avoided/eliminated
(vi) Conception rate is increased/ A.I Precision (vii) Semen is not wasted/store for a long time
(viii) Makes it possible to release more males for sale (ix) Semen from deformed/physically handicapped animal can be used
(x) Challenge of importing male animal is eliminated (xi) Rapid increase in production is achieved.