(a) State five differences between the digestive systems of a goat and a chicken.
(b) Explain each of the following terms as used in animal production:
(I) rumination;
(ii) coprophagy.
(c) Give one reason for carrying out each of the following practices in livestock production:
(i) creep feeding; (ii) steaming-up; (iii) flushing.
(d)(i) State four ways in which rangelands are important. (ii) List four practices that could be carried out to improve pastures.
Explanation
(a) Differences between the digestive systems of a goat and a chicken
| Goat | Chicken |
| has lips | has beak |
| has teeth for grinding | has gizzard for grinding |
| has complex stomach | has simple stomach |
| presence of rumen | presence of crop |
| bacterial digestion takes place in the rumen | bacterial digestion takes place in the caecum |
| complex stomach faciilitate regurgitation | simple stomach facilitate direct digestion |
(b) Explanation of terms used in animal production
(i) Rumination
- Process by which ruminants regurgitate through anti peristaltic movement of fibrous feed, re-chew and reswallow the food into the reticulum.
- The process of chewing of cud
- It reduces the particle size of digesta for microbial action.
- It takes place when animal is resting.
(ii) Coprophagy
- process by which some animals like rabbit
reingest their faeces
- It helps the animal recover microbial protein and minerals lost from the caecum.
(c) Reason for carrying out the following practices
(i) Creep feeding
- to supplement the milk of young livestock
to introduce young livestock to solid feed
weaning
- to facilitate early weaning
(ii) Steaming up
- For development of udder and milk synthesis
- It gives pregnant animals strength for parturition.
- It gives the foetus the right birth weight/condition.
- It enhances the fetal immunity reduction of
foetal/offspring mortality.
- It promotes maximum milk production.
(iii) Flushing
- To increase the chance of conception/ ovulation
- To increase the incidence or multiple birth
(d) (i) Importance of rangelands
- Ensure all season feeding of livestock
- Provide material [Or forage preservation/hay/silage
- Serve as areas for livestock to exercise their
body
- Help to reduce soil erosion
- They facilitate pasture mating
- Reduce cost of for grazing animals
- Provide soilage for feeding livestock
- Serve as forage bank for establishment of pasture
- Provision of gras% and legume
(ii) Practices that improve pasture
- Reseeding/ replanting
- Controlled burning
- Fencing/ paddocking/controlled grazing
- Use of Manure / Fertiliser
- Weed control
- Irrigation
- Disease control
- Correct stocking rate
- Pest control
- Ploughing/pulverisation
- Planting of resistance varieties of forage
- Erosion control
- Planting of grass- legume mixture
- Liming