1
90154
Level 1 Agricultural Science, 2005
90154 Describe livestock management and livestock
physiology important to this management
Credits: Four
You should answer ALL the questions in this booklet.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with
Excellence
Describe the physiology of body
systems important to livestock
management practice(s).
Explain the physiology of body systems
important to livestock management
practice(s).
Explain the physiology of body systems
important to livestock management
practice(s).
Describe livestock management
practice(s).
Explain livestock management
practice(s).
Explain livestock management
practice(s).
Achievement
Select and justify management
practice(s) used to solve a livestock
production problem.
Overall Level of Performance (all criteria within a column are met)
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the prior permission of the
New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
You are advised to spend 40 minutes answering the questions in this booklet.
A Year 11 agriculture class visited several farms during a field trip. The students met farmers who
raised horses, pigs, sheep, cattle and deer.
QUESTION ONE
One of the students observed that the dung from the animals was different. The student took
photographs of the different types of dung and recorded the following observations.
DUNG SAMPLES
ANIMAL
FEED EATEN
APPEARANCE
Horse
Lucerne hay
Large round balls, fairly dry and with pieces of plant
material sticking out
Sheep
Lucerne hay
Small round pellets, fairly dry, very small particles
packed together
Cattle
Leafy pasture
Large round pad, wet and sticky, very small
particles stuck together
Photographs of dung from different animals
Horse
Sheep
Cattle
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 2 of 10
The student was told that the differences in the dung were due to the fact that horses have a nonruminant digestive system that does not digest plant material very well and that the animals had been
fed different types of food.
(a)
(b)
(i)
Describe how a sheep’s digestive system removes water from the gut contents.
Include in your description, the names of TWO parts of the digestive system.
(ii)
Explain why the sheep needs to absorb water from its gut contents.
Describe how a horse’s digestive system breaks down the lucerne hay plant material and
explain why this results in only partial digestion.
Description:
Explanation:
(c)
Explain why the dung from animals fed hay is drier than the dung from animals fed leafy
pasture.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 3 of 10
QUESTION TWO
On all farms the students visited, there had been difficult births during calving, lambing and farrowing.
These difficulties were sometimes due to the size of the female animals’ reproductive systems.
(a)
Describe the parts of the reproductive system that may cause problems during births and
explain how they could be the cause of difficult births.
Description:
Explanation:
The beef farmers place semen into the uterus when artificially inseminating cattle.
(b)
(i)
Describe the process of artificial insemination of cattle. You may use a labelled diagram to
help describe the process.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 4 of 10
(ii)
Explain why artificial insemination of cattle results in faster genetic improvement than
natural mating.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 5 of 10
QUESTION THREE
(a)
The farmers used different feed programmes depending on the type of farm livestock
production system. The feed programme for weaned pigs slaughtered at 100 kg was different
from the feed programme used for beef-breeding cows during pregnancy.
Select ONE of the following livestock production systems:
either:
•
weaned pigs up until slaughter
or:
•
beef-breeding cows during the pregnancy period.
Selected livestock production system:
(i)
Describe a feed programme that meets the requirements of your selected livestock
production system. Your description should include:
•
feed types
•
feed constituent levels
•
amounts of feed offered to livestock.
(ii)
Explain how the feed programme described in (a) (i) meets the requirements of your
selected livestock production system.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 6 of 10
(b)
The sheep farmer vaccinates pregnant ewes in order to protect both the ewe and the lambs
from diseases such as blood poisoning and tetanus – common problems at lambing time.
(i)
Describe the timing of, and method used, when vaccinating pregnant ewes.
(ii)
Explain how vaccination of ewes protects lambs from diseases such as tetanus.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 7 of 10
(c)
Select ONE of the following livestock production systems:
•
pig – prime pork production
•
sheep – wool production
•
deer – velvet production
•
beef cattle – prime beef production
Selected livestock production system:
(i)
Complete the following table by describing TWO important livestock characteristics the
farmer may select for, and how and when the farmer would measure / record the
characteristics.
Description of characteristic
to be measured or recorded
How the characteristic would
be measured or recorded
When would the
characteristic be measured
or recorded
(1)
(2)
(ii)
Explain how the farmer would use the measured or recorded information to improve
production.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 8 of 10
QUESTION FOUR
The students visited a hill country sheep farm. The farmer there wants to raise the lambing
percentage above 100% in his mob of Romney ewes. His property has some steep country that
prevents cultivation, restricts regular access and is prone to snow in the winter. A ram:ewe ratio of
1:60 is used and wintering takes place on river flats using forage crops.
The first and most important step to achieving genetic improvement is choosing the right ram
breeder. The farmer has the choice of selecting Romney rams from three different breeders. The
details of the breeders’ genetic improvements to their flocks, and their farm operations, are described
in the graph and table below.
Details of farm operation
Breeder A
Flat, fertile, well-grassed property. Sheep are fed silage during winter, and there
is once-a-day shepherding at lambing time. Ram:ewe ratio at mating is 1:40. Low
stocking rate.
Breeder B
Hill country with some unimproved pastures. Dry conditions over summer prevents
flushing of ewes at mating when the ram:ewe ratio is 1:75. Easy care approach to
lambing.
Breeder C
Hill country, established shelter, improved pastures allowing for flushing of ewes at
mating when ram:ewe ratio is 1:70. Easy care approach to lambing. Forage crops are
fed during winter.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 9 of 10
Select the ram breeder whose rams you would recommend the farmer buys.
The best ram breeder would be:
(use letter)
Justify your selection of ram breeder and explain why the rams from that breeder are better than the
rams from the other two breeders.
L1 Agricultural Science 2005, 90154 – page 10 of 10