Page 171 - Agriculture_Form_3

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Activity 9.7
1. Visit a school or local farm, or view video clips/ documentaries or photos of
growing animals, then do the following tasks:

(a) Find out how housing is provided; consider space, bedding, drainage,
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and separation of animals.

(b) Observe the feeding practices used; consider types of feed, animal group,
water supply, and supplements.
(c) Observe signs of health or sickness among the animals.

(d) Find out how bulls, heifers, and sick animals are managed separately.

(e) Suggest possible improvements that could strengthen herd performance.

(f) Participate in the ongoing management operations.
2. Record your findings, operations performed, and key lessons learnt in your
portfolio.

Exercise 9.6

1. A group of animals lying on wet bedding experiences several health problems.
What housing problems may have caused this condition? Suggest a solution
for the above problems.

2. A farmer feeds maize stovers to growing calves. The animals grow slowly
and look weak. What could be the problem? Suggest ways of improvement.

3. A young bull is kept in the same pen with growing heifers. It becomes
aggressive and disturbs the heifers. Why is this a problem? How should it be
managed?

4. A dairy farmer selects a few calves to keep as future breeding stock. The
selection is based only on age and colour. What important factors has the
farmer missed in this selection process? Suggest a better way the farmer
could select suitable animals for breeding.

Milking management in dairy cattle

Milking is the process of removing milk from the udder of a lactating animal. It
is a key operation in dairy farming. Good milking practices increase milk yield

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