Animal Husbandry

course outline

Topics

• Pig Raising

  This subtopic covers the importance, characteristics, and locations of pig raising in Nigeria.

• Pig Management

  This section explains various pig keeping practices, including free range, semi-intensive, and intensive systems, along with their merits and demerits.

• Pig Housing

  This subtopic focuses on the importance, raw materials, types, and essential facilities for pig housing.

• Feeding in Pigs

  This section discusses the importance of feeding pigs, their nutrient requirements, and sources of various nutrients.

• Pig Feeding Requirement

  This subtopic emphasizes maintaining a hygienic environment in the piggery, including vaccination, disinfectants, parasite control, and manure disposal.

• Pigs Breeds

  This subtopic explores different breeds of pigs in the tropics, their specific features, and the advantages of breed systems.

• Breeding System in Pigs

  This section covers the definition of breeding, types of mating systems, their advantages and disadvantages, and key oestrus cycle concepts in sows.

• Pigs Nutrition and Feeding

  This subtopic explains the digestive system of pigs, classes of feeds, food digestion processes, and the effect of climate on feed intake.

• Diseases and Pests in Pig

  This section addresses nutritional diseases, causes of piglet mortality, endoparasites, and the direct and indirect effects of climate on pigs.

• The Breeding System in Pigs

  This subtopic details out-breeding, cross-breeding, in-breeding, associated merits and demerits, infertility problems, and pig reproductive biology.

• Nutritional Requirement in Pigs

  This section outlines the nutritional requirements for pigs across different life stages, from day one to finishing.

• Care and Management of Pigs

  This subtopic covers the specific care and management practices for sows, boars, gilts, baby pigs, growers, and finishing pigs.

• Routine Management Practices in Pigs

  This section discusses major routine management practices in pig rearing, including identification, infant teeth chipping, castration, and ear notching.

• Record Keeping in Pig Management

  This subtopic highlights the importance of record keeping in pig production and identifies different types of records, such as breeding and sow litter records.

• Processing of Pigs

  This section covers the importance of slaughtering and processing pigs, various slaughtering equipment, procedures, and the uses of by-products.

• Poultry Keeping

  This subtopic details the importance of keeping poultry for farmers and society.

• Poultry Species

  This section covers the identification of domestic fowl, turkey, duck, and guinea fowl, along with their general characteristics.

• Poultry Management

  This subtopic explains various poultry raising systems, including free range, semi-intensive, and intensive methods, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.

• Poultry Housing

  This section discusses types of conventional and unconventional housing for poultry in the tropics, including raw materials, importance, and common facilities.

• Poultry Feeding

  This subtopic covers the nutrient requirements for different classes of poultry, the importance of nutrients, and their sources in poultry feed.

• Hygiene in Poultry Keeping

  This section emphasizes the importance of a clean environment in poultry rearing and discusses the types and significance of vaccinations.

• Terminologies in Poultry

  This subtopic outlines and explains various terminologies used in poultry raising, such as Tom, Ducklings, Chicks, Growers, and Layer Mash.

• Classes of Poultry

  This section differentiates between classes of poultry production (e.g., pullets for eggs, broilers for meat) and describes characteristics of local and exotic birds.

• Ingredients in Poultry Feeding

  This subtopic explains the digestive system of poultry and identifies various sources of nutrients for poultry feed.

• Poultry Pests and Diseases

  This section identifies various diseases, ectoparasites, and endoparasites affecting poultry, along with preventive and curative measures.

• Climate Condition in Poultry

  This subtopic examines the effects of prevailing weather conditions on poultry growth and egg production.

• Origin of the Poultry Species

  This section explores the origin of poultry, different classes, and reasons for choosing specific poultry types.

• The Importance and Factors for Choice of a Site

  This subtopic covers the importance of poultry housing, factors influencing site selection, and typical poultry house designs for the tropics.

• Poultry Equipment

  This section describes various poultry equipment and their uses, such as drinkers, feeders, perches, nesting boxes, and transportation crates.

• Nutrient Required for Poultry

  This subtopic specifies the intake levels of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals required by poultry, and explains common feed compositions.

• Routine Management Practices

  This section outlines various routine management practices in poultry raising, including debarking, clipping, dubbing, and daily water supply.

• Hygienic and Health

  This subtopic covers general hygienic measures for poultry, common diseases in the tropics, their possible causes, and pest control methods.

• Practice of Hatching Brooding and Sourcing for Chicks

  This section explains different types of hatching (natural and artificial), the definition and types of brooding, and methods for rearing chicks from 0-8 weeks.

• Poultry Products and Processing

  This subtopic details the sources of various chicks, including pullet, broiler, and cockerel chicks.

• Record Keeping

  This section highlights the importance of good record keeping for poultry products and by-products, and the essence of proper recording for poultry performance.

• Ways of Improving Local Chickens

  This subtopic discusses the cock exchange programme and the advantages of local versus hybrid chickens.

• Rabbits Keeping

  This subtopic covers the importance of raising rabbits, as well as different types and breeds of rabbits.

• Rabbit Housing

  This section defines rabbit housing, outlines necessary conditions for setting up a housing, its importance, and materials for construction.

• Rabbits Production

  This subtopic focuses on the reproductive features of rabbits and the key characteristics and differences between male and female rabbits.

• Rabbit Feeding

  This section identifies common rabbit feeds, their nutritional constitution, and classification into various nutrient groups.

• Rabbit Health

  This subtopic defines diseases and pests, lists common rabbit ailments, describes symptoms, and highlights the importance of sanitation and disease prevention.

• Rabbit Production Terminologies

  This section introduces and explains common terminologies applicable in rabbit keeping.

• The Characteristics, Types and Problems of Rabbit Production

  This subtopic discusses the general characteristics of different rabbit breeds, meat and fancy types, and common difficulties in rabbit keeping.

• The materials used for rabbits housing

  This section covers important features of rabbit housing and the materials required for its construction.

• Breeding Techniques in Rabbits

  This subtopic details sexual maturity, types and importance of breeding, mating patterns, signs of pregnancy and parturition, and maturity ratios in rabbits.

• Feed and Nutrient Requirement for Rabbits

  This section identifies the feeds required by rabbits and discusses different classes of rabbits based on their nutritional needs.

• Common Disease and Pest of Rabbits

  This subtopic covers common disabling effects, litter mortality, control measures for preventing young rabbit mortality, disease symptoms, and the importance of hygiene.

• Husbandry and Handling practices

  This section outlines routine management practices in rabbit keeping and proper methods for handling rabbits.

• Features of a Good Rabbit Housing

  This subtopic highlights the importance of hygiene and good building materials, lists necessary farm equipment and their maintenance, and explains the difference between a maternity hutch and a nest box.

• Handling and Care of Rabbit

  This section discusses the handling and care of young rabbits, doe to kitten care, weaning periods, precautions in handling kittens, rabbit predators, rebreeding times, abortion, and infertility.

• Importance of Feeding Rabbits

  This subtopic covers nutritional deficiencies, feed conversion efficiency compared to poultry, compounding rabbit rations, and coprophagy in rabbits.

• Digestion of Feed in Rabbit

  This section explains the processes of digestion, assimilation, and absorption in rabbits, and details the rabbit digestive system.

• Record Keeping in Rabbit

  This subtopic emphasizes the importance of record keeping and explains different types of records relevant to rabbit production.

• Process of Rabbits

  This section identifies equipment used for processing rabbits, describes different processing methods, highlights the importance of slaughtering and processing, and lists uses of rabbit products and by-products.

• Terminologies in cattle production

  This subtopic introduces various terminologies used in cattle keeping and highlights the importance and uses of common equipment in cattle farming.

• Cattle Housing

  This section covers the importance of housing in cattle keeping and the materials required for cattle housing construction.

• Cattle Feeding

  This subtopic lists various forages consumed by cattle and details their nutritional requirements.

• Cattle Disease, Pests and Simple Control Conditions

  This section explains the causes of diseases and pests in cattle and describes their treatment and care.

• Cattle Identification

  This subtopic outlines various methods for identifying cattle on a farm, such as ear tagging and branding.

• Cattle Production Management

  This section details various management systems for cattle production, along with their advantages and disadvantages.

• Feeds and Feeding of Cattle

  This subtopic covers common foods for cattle, their feeding patterns, and the importance of feed in cattle production.

• Hygiene and Health Care

  This section emphasizes the importance of hygiene and health in cattle production, methods of manure disposal, causes of infection, and disease and pest control.

• Reproduction in Cattle

  This subtopic defines reproduction and describes the features of male and female reproductive organs in cattle.

• Products and By-Product of Cattle

  This section highlights the importance of milk from cattle and the uses of hides.

• Best Breed for Production Purpose

  This section discusses the cattle breeds best suited for specific localities and their feeding requirements, including water, protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals.

• Health Care and Quarantine Purpose

  This subtopic covers dry season feeding requirements, the importance of isolating sick or new animals, basic health control principles, the importance of health records, vaccination, worm and tick prevention, and common skin and hoof problems.

• Various Management Systems Needed at Various Ages

  This section outlines basic management systems for different classes of cattle, including calves, heifers, in-calf cows, bulls, and dairy cows.

• Reproductive Activities in Cattle Production

  This subtopic defines maturity in cattle, describes symptoms of heat, explains abortion and its likely causes, and measures for prevention.

• Milking Procedures in Cattle Production

  This subtopic describes milking procedures for cows and lists the uses of various cattle products like beef, blood, bones, hides, and horns.

• Selection of Replacement Stock

  This section identifies features to consider when selecting good heifers or bulls for replacement stock, and discusses their importance and use.

• Goats and Sheet Breeds

  This section defines sheep and goat breeds, identifies different breeds, and describes their general characteristics.

• Goats and Sheep Management

  This subtopic explains various management systems for goat and sheep farms, including free range, semi-intensive, and intensive systems, along with their advantages and disadvantages.

• Goats and Sheep Housing

  This section covers types of goat and sheep housing, their importance, required construction materials, essential facilities, and types of bedding materials.

• Goats and Sheep Nutrition and Feeding

  This subtopic explains the nutrient requirements of sheep and goats (e.g., carbohydrates, protein, fat), their feeding patterns, sources of nutrients, and the importance of nutrition.

• Health and Hygiene in Sheep

  This section highlights the importance of a clean environment for goat and sheep growth and discusses the types and uses of vaccination.

• Terminologies and Attractive Properties of Sheep and Goats

  This subtopic introduces various terminologies used in goat and sheep farming, covering terms for both types of animals and their specific life stages.

• Breeding Selection, Care and Management of Goats and Sheep

  This section covers the selection of goats and sheep for breeding, qualities suitable for reproduction, methods for milk and meat production through cross-breeding, parturition processes, care of newborns, and signs of difficult births.

• Nutrition and Feeding of Sheep and Goat

  This subtopic discusses feeding practices for goats and sheep and identifies essential feed supplements.

• Common Diseases of Goats and Sheep

  This section lists common diseases of goats and sheep, describes the condition of sick animals, identifies internal and external parasites, and emphasizes the importance of vaccination.

• Processing and slaughter of goats and sheep

  This subtopic details the uses of sheep and goat products and by-products, such as meat, blood, bones, hides, skin, and dung.

• The Reproductive Organs of Sheep and Goats

  This section describes the male and female reproductive systems of sheep and goats and explains the signs of oestrus.

• Care and Management of Kids and Lambs

  This subtopic covers the process of weaning kids and lambs and details the care required for breeding and lactation.

• Pasture Management and Utilization by Sheep and Goats

  This section discusses the importance of pasture for sheep and goats, types of pasture materials, grazing management applicable in Nigeria, and defines and differentiates hay and silage.

• Selection of Housing Site and Effects of Climate to Sheep and Goat

  This subtopic covers common sheep and goat housing types, typical house dimensions, and the direct and indirect effects of climate on housing type and nutrition.

• Disease and Pest of Sheep and Goats

  This section addresses diseases, pests, and nutritional disorders affecting sheep and goats.

• Breeding Systems

  This subtopic covers breeding systems in sheep and goats, problems of infertility, and productive hormones.

• Slaughtering and processing of sheep and goats

  This section describes the processes of slaughter and preservation for sheep and goats.

• Sanitation of Abattoir and slaughter slabs

  This subtopic outlines the required sanitation level in meat slaughtering houses, the effects of dirty slaughter slabs, and the importance of meat inspectors.