Page 255 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

When goats are tethered, care should be taken to ensure that the animal is not tangled
up in vegetation. The advantages of the system are:
(a) Low technology is involved. You just need a rope for restraining the goat.
(b) Cheaper in planning, feeding and other management activities.
(c) Extra time for a farmer to do other activities.

The disadvantages of the system are:
(a) The animal can be tangled in vegetation by its rope.
(b) The animal is prone to theft and being attacked by predators if it is left unguided.
In producing pigs, two major systems are used: extensive and intensive systems.
In the extensive system, the pigs are let free to scavenge and are put in enclosures
during night time. This is a traditional system, which is not advocated due to the risk
of spreading diseases. The intensive system of raising pigs is total confinement in
houses.

Only one system is being used for raising rabbits in Tanzania; the intensive system.
The rabbits are either kept on floor or in cages or hutches. It is more appropriate
to raise rabbits in cages or hutches than raising them on floor due to the following
advantages:
(a) Allows faeces to fall down.
(b) Requires a small area for many rabbits.
(c) Avoids contamination of feed and water.
(d) Easy to identify sick rabbits.
(e) Controls diseases, e.g., coccidiosis.
(f) Easy to provide feeds and water.

Housing rabbits in cages or hutches is however challenging due to the following
reasons:
(a) High initial cost of the cages.
(b) Requires much knowledge in management.
(c) It is labour intensive.

Activity 11.2
Perform the following tasks:
1. Using the farm nearby or your school farm, study the farm, check the area
available, observe the farming system used, identify the types of animals kept,
the number of animals and suggest whether the area available is suitable for the
selected farming system or not. If not, give suggestions on what should be done.

2. Prepare a report and present it in class.

Student’s Book Form Three
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AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 244
AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 244 10/01/2025 12:32