Waec Syllabus for Animal Husbandry (ALT B) 2023/2024 PDF Download

Download the latest and updated Waec syllabus for Animal Husbandry (Alternative B) for the 2023/2024 academic session in PDF format. Get a complete overview of the topics and subjects covered in the examination and ace your exams.

Waec Syllabus for Animal Husbandry (Alternative B) 2023

Welcome to the one-stop destination for all your Animal Husbandry (ALT B) exam needs! The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the updated syllabus for the 2023/2024 academic session, and we are here to provide you with the latest version in PDF format. This comprehensive syllabus will give you a clear understanding of the topics and subjects covered in the examination, and help you prepare effectively to achieve success in your exams.

PREAMBLE

This syllabus has portrayed animal husbandry as a trade for livelihood, with an emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and entrepreneurial skills in animal husbandry.

They will expect candidates to answer questions on all the topics set out in the column headed Syllabus.

The notes should show the questions which will be set, but they are not to be considered as an exhaustive list of limitations and illustrations.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The syllabus will therefore seek to assess candidates’ knowledge and skills in:
(1) basic animal production practices such as feeding, housing, pest and disease control;
(2) efficient and effective management of the animal enterprise;
(3) efficient processing, preservation, packaging, storage and marketing of animal products;
(4) basic entrepreneurial skills in animal husbandry related vocations;
(5) basic knowledge and skills in animal improvement and health.

REQUIREMENTS:

(1) Schools offering Animal Husbandry are to raise at least one species of farm animals from each of the following groups:

(a) monogastric, e.g. poultry, pigs, snails, camel, donkey, horse, rabbit, bee.

(b) ruminants, e.g. cattle, sheep and goat.

(2) They recommend that the schools should have agricultural laboratories.

(3) They also recommended that candidates keep practical notebooks and specimen albums, which should contain records of activities undertaken and observations made on the school farm and field trips and of specimens collected.

(4) They also expected that visits would supplement the study to well-established livestock and poultry farms, abattoirs, feed mills, animal product-based companies and other institutions related to animal

SCHEME OF EXAMINATION

N/B: For candidates in Nigeria only

EXAMINATION SCHEME:

There will be three papers, papers 1, 2 and 3 all of which must be taken. Papers 1 and 2 will be composite paper to be taken at one sitting.

PAPER 1: This will comprise forty multiple-choice questions, answer all of which within 40 minutes for 40 marks.

PAPER 2: This will comprise six essay questions drawn from the entire syllabus. Each question carries 20 marks. They will require candidates to answer four questions within 2 hours for 80 marks.

PAPER 3: This will be a practical paper for school candidates and a test of practical work paper for private candidates. Each version will comprise four questions, each answers, all of which within 1½ hours for 60 marks.

DETAILED SYLLABUS

CONTENTS NOTES

A. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

(1) Importance of farm animals.

2. Classification of farm animals.
   (a) Classification of farm animals.

(b) Identification of ruminants and
non-ruminants.

3. Internal organs and their functions in farm animals.
4. Body systems and their functions in farm animals
5. Reproduction in farm animals

(a) Definition of terms used in livestock reproduction.

(b) Reproduction in livestock(mammals).

(c) Reproduction in poultry.

(d) Reproductive hormones and
their functions.

(e) Management of pregnant
farm animals.

6. Livestock management systems.
7. Management practices of livestock.
8. ANIMAL NUTRITION
9. Meaning and classes of animal feeds.
10. Animal feeds and feeding
    (a) Livestock rations
11. Formulation of livestock rations.
12. Processing and marketing of animal products.

(a). Processing techniques for different farm animal products.

(b). Marketing of animal products.

1. PASTURE AND RANGE
   MANAGEMENT
2. Pasture management.
   (a). Meaning and importance of
   pasture and forage crops.

(b). Types of pasture and forage
crops.

(c). Terminologies in pasture
management.

2. Rangeland improvement.

(a). Meaning and characteristics of
rangelands.

(b). Methods of rangeland
improvement.

(c). Importance of rangeland.

1. ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT
2. Animal improvement.
   (a). Meaning of animal
   improvement.

(b). Aims/importance of farm animal
improvement.

1. Methods of farm animal improvement.

(a). Methods used in farm animal
improvement.

(b). Merits and demerits of methods
used in farm animal improvement.

2. Artificial insemination.

(a). Meaning of artificial inseminat-ion.

(b). Methods of artificial
insemination.

(c). Advantages of artificial
insemination.

1. ANIMAL HEALTH
2. Farm animal diseases and pathogens.

(a). Concept of farm animal disease.

(b) General symptoms of diseases
in farm animals.

(c). Diseases of farm animals,
prevention and control.

(d) Factors predisposing farm
animals to diseases.

2. Livestock parasites and pests.

(a). Livestock parasites.

(b). Livestock pests.

Discussion should include:
– source of food(meat, milk, eggs, honey etc);
– raw materials e.g. hide and skin, bones, hooves, hair/fur, egg shells;
– source of manure (fertilizer, bio-gas, bio fuel), growing of maggots and earthworms;
– source of feed ingredients- blood meal, bone meal, meat and bone meal, snail shell, egg shell, feathers etc;
– animal power (animal traction, transportation);
– research (laboratory, field), drugs, vaccines, hormones etc;
– source of employment;
– sales of products and by-products;
– social functions e.g. payment of bride price, cultural displays (weddings);
– for security e.g. ducks, bees, turkeys;
– as pets e.g. rabbits, sheep, chickens;
– sports and games e.g. horse racing, chicken fighting;
– religious festivals e.g. turkeys, rams etc;
– source of foreign exchange through export of animal products and by-products.

Discussion should be based on stomach type:
(a) Simple stomach (non- ruminant or monogastric). e.g. poultry (avian), pig (swine), rabbits, horses, donkeys, snails, bees, grasscutters;
(b) Complex stomach (polygastric or ruminants) i.e. cattle, sheep and goat.

Identification should include:
(i) external features of common ruminants and non-ruminants;
(ii) differences should be based on type of stomach and type of feed consumed.

Identification of internal organs of farm animals e.g. (liver, lungs, heart, kidney, spleen, pancreas, stomach, crop, caecum, gizzard, small intestine, large intestine, tongue etc, and their functions.

Discussions should include digestive, respiratory, nervous, circulatory, skeletal, reproductive systems. Students are expected to understand the functions of each system.

Discussion should include ovulation, oestrus cycle, heat period, signs of heat, mating, gestation, parturition, lactation, colostrum, flushing, steaming up, dystocia, vaginal prolapse etc.

Discussion should include detection of heat, mating systems, pregnancy detection and signs of parturition.

Knowledge of the process of egg formation in poultry is required.

Sources and roles of female hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, relaxin, oxytocin etc) and male hormones (testosterone/androgen) should be emphasised.

Discussion should include regular and adequate feeding, body exercise, steaming up, separation from male animals, provision of clean and adequate water and administration of drugs where necessary, dipping to eliminate ecto-parasites, parturition etc.

Knowledge of livestock management systems: intensive, semi-intensive and extensive system is required. Discussion should include advantages and disadvantages of each of the systems.

Discussion should include housing requirements for each of the farm animals and students are expected to have the knowledge of the use of local materials for construction of the animal houses.

Understanding of other management practices: feeding, sanitation, hygiene, castration, dehorning, deworming, vaccination, inoculation, culling, debeaking, smoking (in bees), docking (detailing), means of identification of farm animals (tattooing, branding, ear-notching, rings etc), isolation, weaning, care of the young animal until they are weaned etc, is essential.

Simple record keeping including income and expenditure accounts is necessary. Importance of each of these practices should be discussed.

Discussion should also include the management practices from birth to maturity of a named large ruminant, small ruminant, poultry, pigs, grasscutter, bees and snails.

Discussion should include the meaning of animal nutrition, feed nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oil, vitamins, minerals and water), their functions and sources and their deficiencies in farm animals. Students should also be exposed to classification of animal feeds into concentrates, roughages, supplements, feed additives etc.

Study should include meaning of livestock rations and types (balanced, maintenance, production rations.

Malnutrition: meaning, causes, symptoms and practical ways to check malnutrition such as feeding balanced rations to animals, feeding weaker animals separately, deworming animals, giving supplementary feeds, addition of feed additives to stimulate appetite, protecting animals from toxic plants and harmful substances, adjusting stocking rates appropriately, provision of good quality and adequate water etc, should be studied

Students should be exposed to practical diet formulations for the different classes of farm animals (starter, grower and finisher diets).

Students should be able to identify different feed ingredients used for diet formulations e.g. blood meal, fish meal, cottonseed cake, oyster shell, groundnut cake, maize grains, salt, premix, glycine etc.

Factors to consider in feed formulation for farm animals e.g. physiological status of animal, species, age, body weight, production target, acceptability of feed, nutrient composition of the feed, ingredient availability, cost of feed ingredients etc, should be studied.

The processing techniques include; pre-slaughtering, slaughtering and post-slaughtering activities. Hygienic conditions in the processing are also important.

Students should understand slaughtering techniques for different farm animals. Students should also be exposed to processing of animal products e.g. egg, milk, meat, skin, wool, honey, snail shell and feathers, fur, hooves, horns, blood, faeces/droppings into other forms (value addition).

Understanding of common marketing channels and agents such as producers, wholesalers, retailers, consumers etc is required. The advantages and disadvantages of each marketing channel and agent should be discussed.

Discussion should include definition, examples and importance of pasture and forage crops.
Understanding the types and features of pasture and forage crops is required.

Knowledge of basic terminologies in pasture management is required.

Understanding of the meaning and features of rangeland is required.

Knowledge of methods of rangeland improvement (reseeding, rotational grazing, controlled stocking, deferred grazing, controlled burning, fertilizer application, pest control, disease control etc is required.

Knowledge of the role of rangeland in livestock production e.g. provision of vegetables and grasses for animals, exercise, provision of hay and silage etc is required.

An understanding of the meaning and terminologies used in animal improvement is required.

Knowledge of aims: high reproductive efficiency, potency, mothering ability, cool temperament, high libido, resistance to pests, resistance to diseases, tolerance to the harsh environment, etc is required.

Discussion should include various methods used in farm animal improvement: introduction, selection and breeding.

Students are required to understand the merits and demerits of each method used in farm animal improvement.

Explanation of the term artificial insemination is required

Discussion to include identification of materials, methods, steps and precautions in carrying out artificial insemination.

Knowledge of the advantages of artificial insemination is required.

Knowledge of meaning and causal agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa) of diseases in farm animals is required.

Discussion to include signs of a sick animal e.g. loss of appetite, loss of weight, diarrhoea, high body temperature, blood-stained urine, gnashing of teeth, discharges from natural openings, blood-stained faeces, ruffled feathers or fur, standing hair, undue noise, excessive salivation, anaemia, staggering gait, difficulty in breathing, coma, sudden death etc.

The ability to identify the main diseases of farm animals, their causal agents, mode of transmission and symptoms is required. Simple preventive and control measures including the use of antibiotics and ethno veterinary practices are required.

Knowledge of factors that predispose farm animals to diseases e.g. poor nutrition, poor health status, poor sanitation, inadequate biosecurity, overcrowding, unfavourable weather conditions, low immunity etc is required.

Understanding of the meaning, classes, control/prevention and effects of parasites on farm animals is required. Discussion to include life cycles of the parasites.

Ability to identify and understand the economic importance of ectoparasites (ticks, lice, mites, fleas etc.) and endo-parasites (tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, pinworm, liver fluke, trypanosome etc) is required.

Knowledge of livestock pests (rodents, snakes, soldier ants, birds, weevils, termites, flies etc), prevention/control using dewormers, acaricides, pesticides and ethnoveterinary practices, and effects of pests on farm animals will be assessed.

The ability to identify and knowledge of the economic importance of storage pests (rodents, weevils, termites, cockroaches etc), field pests (soldier ants, birds, snakes flies etc) are required.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY (PRACTICALS)
CONTENTS NOTES
1. Products and by-products of farm animals.

1. Identification of farm animals.
2. Internal organs and their functions in farm animals.
3. Tools and equipment used in the management of farm animals.
4. Feeds and feedstuffs
5. Pasture and forage crops.
6. Artificial insemination.
7. Pests and parasites of farm animals.

(a). Pests of farm animals.

(b) Parasites of farm animals. Ability to identify and knowledge of the uses of animal products and by-products such as meat, eggs, milk, honey, hides, skin, blood, hair, wool, feathers, horn, hooves, bones, snail shell, animal dung etc. will be assessed.

Ability to describe, draw and label the external parts of farm animals will be assessed.

The ability to identify and draw the major internal structures in the various body systems of a named ruminant, poultry and pig is required. Differences in the structures and their functions will also be assessed.

Ability to identify the following tools and the equipment used in animal management practices is required e.g: Housing (head pan, trowel, shovel/spade, hammer, pincers, pliers, spanner, screw driver etc), Brooding (coal pots, kerosene stoves, hurricane lantern, electric bulb, hoover, chick feeder, flat trays, chick drinker, brood guard/surround, thermometer, hygrometer etc), Feeding (feeders, drinkers, weighing scale etc), Identification (branding iron, ear clips, neck chains, marker, ear notcher, indelible ink etc), Debeaking (debeaking machine, sharp knife, heater etc), Castration (surgical blade/scalpel, burdizzo, elastrator, elastic ring, cotton wool, suture needle, suture thread etc ), Handling ( krawl, restraining ropes, wooden rod- sanda, pad, nose ring, etc), Dehorning (iron saw, knife/cutlass etc), Incubation (incubator, hatcher, chick box, egg tray, humidifier, candler,), Milking (cheese cloth, milking machine, milking chute, milk testing cup, drenching bottle, milking pails, buckets etc), Slaughtering (cutlass, knife, stunning gun, electric shocker, defeathering machine, eviscerator, conveyor, weighing scale, blast freezer, cold rooms); Pasture and forage crops (sickle, knife/cutlass, harvesters, silo etc).

The maintenance of these tools and equipment should be discussed.

Ability to identify and knowledge of uses of feeds and feedstuffs such as common feed ingredients (maize, groundnut cake, soya bean meal, palm kernel cake, fish meal, bone meal, oyster shell, limestone, salt, salt lick, premix, wheat offal etc), crop residues, agricultural by-products and non-conventional(jack bean, rumen digesta, cassava peel etc) and the major nutrients they contain will be assessed.

The ability to identify and the knowledge of uses of common pasture and forage crops are required. They should discuss hay and silage making.

The ability to identify the tools and equipment and their uses are required. Simple techniques of semen collection, preservation and insemination should be discussed.

The ability to identify and knowledge of the economic importance of storage pests (rodents, weevils, termites, cockroaches etc), field pests (soldier ants, birds, snakes, flies etc) are required.
Ability to identify and knowledge of economic importance of ectoparasites (ticks, lice, mites, fleas etc) and endoparasites (tapeworm, roundworms, hook worm, pin worm, liver fluke, trypanosomes etc) are required.Study should also include life cycles, prevention and control of these parasites.

LIST OF FACILITIES AND MAJOR EQUIPMENT

FARM BUILDING/STRUCTURE

ITEM NO EQUIPMENT QUANTITY REQUIRED

1. Poultry/Pig House/Battery Cages 1
2. Cattle/Goat/Sheep Pen 1
3. Rabbit/Grass cutter Hutch 1
4. Snairy/Bee Hive 1

LIVE ANIMALS

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT QUANTITY

REQUIRED
1. Poultry/Pig 10
2. Rabbits/Grass cutter 10
3. Cattle/Sheep/Goat 10
4. Snails/Bees 50/100

SPECIMEN

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT

1. Tick
2. Lice
3. Liver fluke
4. Tapeworm
5. Roundworm
6. Flea
7. Tsetse fly
8. Pests

CHARTS AND PICTURES

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT QUANTITY REQUIRED

1. Digestive system of ruminants 5
2. Digestive system of non-ruminants 5
3. Reproductive organs of male livestock 5
4. Reproductive organs of female livestock 5
5. Reproductive tract of poultry 5
6. Skeletal system of farm animals 5
7. Circulatory system 5
8. Muscular system 5
9. Endocrine system 5
10. Calendar of ovulation 5
11. Calendar of Oestrus cycle 5
12. Classes of farm animals 5
13. Calendar of heat period 5
14. Calendar of animal diseases 5

MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT QUANTITY REQUIRED

1. Buddizor pliers/castrators 2
2. Elastrators 2
3. Debeakers 2
4. Candlers 2
5. Dehorning saw 4
6. Ear notching knife 2
7. Electro-ejaculator 2
8. Artificial Inseminators 2
9. Hand sprayer/Knapsack sprayer 2
10. Refrigerators to store materials 2
11. Clinical thermometer 2
12. Films Many
13. Television 2
14. CD Video Player 2
15. 16mm Film Projector 2

DRUGS/VACCINES/MATERIALS

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT QUANTITY REQUIRED

1. First aids kits/boxes containing surgical blades, cotton wool, iodine and razor. 2
2. Sterilizers e.g. Dettol, Izal 4
3. Syringes and Needles 10
4. Vaccines (various forms) 5
5. Formalin, etc. 2 bottles

FEED SAMPLES

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT QUANTITY REQUIRED

1. Bone meal ½ kg
2. Blood meal ½ kg
3. Fish meal ½ kg
4. Groundnut cake ½ kg
5. Maize grains ½ kg
6. Groundnut meal ½ kg
7. Coconut meal ½ kg
8. Eggshell meal ½ kg
9. Palm kernel meal ½ kg
10. Periwinkle shell ½ kg
11. Mineral salt lick, etc. ½ kg

ITEM NO. EQUIPMENT QUANTITY REQUIRED

1. Feeding trough (Metal and Plastic) 5
2. Drinkers (Metal and Plastic) 5
3. Lanterns (source of heat) 5
4. Foot dips 5
5. Notebooks for Accounts and Records 5
6. Wheelbarrow 5

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Get Your Hands on the Latest WAEC Animal Husbandry (ALT B) Syllabus – Download Now

The updated WAEC Animal Husbandry (ALT B) syllabus for the 2023/2024 examination is now available for download. Get ahead of the game and ensure you have all the necessary information to succeed in the exam. The PDF document contains a comprehensive outline of the topics, subtopics, and practical skills that will be covered in the exam. Get a copy now and start preparing for success in the 2023/2024 WAEC Animal Husbandry (ALT B) examination!

ANIMAL-HUSBANDRY-ALT-B

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Waec syllabus for Animal Husbandry (ALT B) 2023/2024 is essential to study material for all students appearing for the examination. By downloading the latest version in PDF format, you can have a clear understanding of the topics and subjects covered, and plan your studies accordingly to achieve success.