(a) Give three advantages and three disadvantages of the deep litter system of poultry management....

Explanation

(a) Advantages and Disadvantages of the deep litter system of poultry management:

Advantages

- It increases efficiency in poultry management

- It maximizes the use of land/large flock of birds can be managed

-It maximizes the use of labour/cost of labour is reduced

-Birds are well protected / protection from predators and thieves

-Cost of labour is reduced

-Easy to control houseflies and mosquitoes

-Birds are able to exercise Suitable for rearing breeding stock

- Birds are protected against harsh weather

Disadvantages

- Cost of construction of deep litter house is high

- Cannibalism and pecking among birds are common

- There is wastage of feed by birds

- Litter makes eggs dirty

- Diseases spread easily

- Not easy to identify unproductive birds

- Pecking of eggs/destruction of eggs is common

-Pests e.g. lice, fleas etc. infestation is high

-Feed and water contamination is high

- Difficult to keep records on individual birds

-Disease control measures are difficult to carry out.

(b) Reasons for carrying out animal husbandry practices

(i) Castration of goats

-To control indiscriminate mating

- To quicken the fattening-up process

- To remove offensive odour

-To prevent spread of sexually transmitted diseases

- To tame the Billy goat/docility Animals feed better/grow faster

(ii) Creep feeding of pigs

- To avoid overlay of piglets by sow

- To keep the feed meant for the piglets out of reach of sows

- To provide highly nutritious diet to the piglets for their rapid development

- It facilitates early weaning of piglets

-Allows for early servicing of sows

(c) Local breeds of cattle reared in West Africa

-Kuri

-Muturu/ West African Short Horn

- White Fulani

- Red Bororo

- Sokoto Gudali

-N'dama

- Keteku/Borgu/Sanga/Mere

- Wadara/Shuwa

- Azawal

-Boule

-Adamawa

-Lagune

- Somba/Kapsiki/Namohi/Bakosi