Animal Husbandry

Question 1

Which of these is NOT a key predisposing reason for domestication of a species:

1. Their ancestors had a short ‘flight distance’ from humans.
2. They have promiscuous matings
3. They are small and edible
4. They are social and have precocious offspring.
5. They are trainable

Answer 1

3. They are small and edible

Question 2

What is phylogenetic “baggage” or constraint?

1. The ancestry of an animal limits what its descendants can be like; it takes time to evolve.
2. A process that channels adaptive radiations.
3. A random process that explains why some lineages go extinct.
4. Incorrect. It is not random, is not a process, and has little to do with extinction.
5. A form of exaptation.
6. The cause of cladogenesis.

Answer 2

1. The ancestry of an animal limits what its descendants can be like; it takes time to evolve.

Question 3

The scientific statement: ‘The genes on chromosomes determine heredity. ‘
Can best be described as:

1. theory
2. observation
3. law
4. fact
5. hypothesis

Answer 3

1. theory

Question 4

Why can a lamb not be weaned off milk and onto grass at 3 weeks of age?

1. It has not yet learnt how to eat grass
2. It would starve
3. It needs to stay with its mother for at least 4 weeks to learn normal sheep behaviour
4. Grass does not contain enough energy for a growing lamb
5. It would be at higher risk of disease because it is no longer receiving antibodies in the milk

Answer 4

2. It would starve

Question 5

In the previous question you calculated how many g/day of concentrates to feed ewes in late pregnancy. Imagine you miscalculated and fed them twice as much as they were supposed to get. What is the most serious potential consequence of this mistake?

1. The ewes may develop rumenal acidosis
2. The ewes may develop vaginal prolapses
3. The ewes may develop metabolic diseases such as pregnancy toxaemia
4. The ewes may abort their foetuses
5. The ewes may develop mastitis

Answer 5

The ewes may develop rumenal acidosis

Question 6

What are the signs that are indicative of an animal carrying pathogens that can affect humans?

1. No specific signs can be defined for an animal that is carrying a pathogen.
2. An animal showing signs of diarrhoea.
3. An animal showing signs of abortion.
4. An animal showing signs of respiratory disease.
5. An animal showing signs of fever.

Answer 6

1. No specific signs can be defined for an animal that is carrying a pathogen.

Question 7

At the farm you have found a ewe suffering from mastitis. She is off-feed and depressed and her udder is red, hot and swollen. What action will you take to treat such a ewe.

1. Strip the milk
2. Inject antibiotics intramuscularly
3. Intra-mammary infusion of antibiotics
4. Topical application of an antiseptic cream
5. Get the lamb to suckle

Answer 7

2. Inject antibiotics intramuscularly

Question 8

In the last season there was a severe outbreak of Watery Mouth in the newborn lambs and high mortality inflicted heavy economic losses to the farm. How will you advise the farmer and what measure she should adopt to prevent this disease happening next year?

1. Give a dose of minerals/vitamins to all the lambs soon after birth
2. Appropriate feeding of the ewes in the last trimester of pregnancy
3. Give oral antibiotics to all the lambs soon after birth
4. Vaccination of lambs against E-coli
5. Improve hygiene at the lambing time

Answer 8

2. Appropriate feeding of the ewes in the last trimester of pregnancy

Question 9

You have found a very weak lamb which is lying flat and is not able to hold its head up. He is >5h old and its body temperature is <37°C. What course of action you will take to treat this lamb?

1. Feed by Stomach tube
2. Warm the lamb up to 37°C
3. Intra-peritoneal injection of glucose followed by warming the lamb up to 37°C
4. Feed the lamb with bottle
5. Inject antibiotics

Answer 9

3. Intra-peritoneal injection of glucose followed by warming the lamb up to 37°C

Question 10

The farm you go to for your lambing EMS has 500 mixed-age Mule ewes. They have had a problem with poor ewe reproduction this year. The farmer does not think they have done anything differently to previous years, but at scanning only 40% of the ewes were carrying twins or triplets compared with 70-75% in previous years. What is the most likely reason for this poor scanning percentage?

1. Ram infertility or inappropriate ram:ewe ratio
2. Breed or genetics
3. Season
4. Poor nutrition
5. Ewe age

Answer 10

4. Poor nutrition

Question 11

When talking about sheep, what is the meaning of the word ‘gimmer’?

1. An orphaned lamb which is raised by hand
2. A ewe that is taken from hill country and sold to lower land
3. A castrated male sheep
4. A young sheep from weaning to first shearing
5. A sheep between its first and second shearings

Answer 11

4. A young sheep from weaning to first shearing

Question 12

It is important to appreciate the interactions between the animal’s environment and animal health. For example:-
Which of the following statements is correct ?
In housed animals where one or more animals have started to develop respiratory disease, in principle it is more important/helpful to

Select one:

a. maintain ambient air temperature than increase the number of air changes per hour

Incorrect answer. Increasing the ventilation helps to remove air-borne pathogens and this will help control spread to other animals in the building. Maintaining temperature for affected individuals might be appropriate, and they can be separated from the rest of the group when doing this, but it will not interfere with transmission to uninfected animals.

1. filter the incoming air than rely on increasing the number of air changes per hour
2. use natural ventilation in place of positive pressure ventilation
3. reduce stocking density than increase the number of air changes per hour
4. give a subcutaneous/intramuscular vaccination against the disease to prevent its spread than attempt to modify the ventilation or stocking density

Answer 12

3. reduce stocking density than increase the number of air changes per hour

Question 13

A confirmed SPF (specified pathogen free) colony of out-bred mice are being bred using a continuous harems system , the colony is maintained within an animal facility complying with the Animals(Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 , however, it is experiencing high levels of pre-weaning mortality rates , what could be the underlying problem.

1. Disease
2. Temperature and humidity levels.
3. Poor nutrition
4. Strain of mouse
5. Poor husbandry/breeding techniques

Answer 13

5. Poor husbandry/breeding techniques

Question 14

Suppose that the BVA has asked you to decide on behalf of the veterinary profession whether rectal examination is an unpleasant experience for cows. You are in a position to suggest how this could be investigated experimentally. The information from the experiments could guide you in forming a conclusion and formulating your recommendation to the BVA. What types of experiment would be needed to determine whether or not rectal examination for pregnancy diagnosis causes suffering in the cow ?

Would it be a study which looked at whether rectal examination

Select one:

1. Is aversive
2. Causes stress hormone or heart rate responses
3. In people is an unpleasant procedure, and if so in what ways
4. Causes rectal injury, and if so how frequently
5. Causes behavioural responses indicative of distress

Answer 14

1. Is aversive

Question 15

What is the main reason for wing clipping swans in Parks ? Is it to

1. minimise the risk of injuries in members of the public.
2. reduce the likelihood of escape
3. control the risk of injury in keepers
4. reduce the risk of swans injuring each other
5. minimise flight accidents in confined unclipped swans

Answer 15

2. reduce the likelihood of escape

Question 16

Consider the following scenario. A very poor widower with a health problem cares for 23 horses and 18 donkeys, some of which are geriatric. The old man is not keeping on top of the hoof trimming nor parasite control, and there has been a couple of incidents recently that led to some animal welfare concerns. The vet has spoken to him several times about decreasing numbers, but the old man is reluctant because he looks upon the animals as his family and he could not bear to let any go. Use a SOCLAPP analysis to consider the veterinarian’s responsibilities. In the case of the vet’s responsibility to the Animals should the vet

1. respect the old man’s wishes and provide free or low-cost health care for the animals
2. report the situation to the RSPCA recommending that the worst affected animals are uplifted and compulsorily euthanized
3. refer the situation to another vet in the hope that he/she will be able to persuade the old man to part with some of the animals
4. threaten to report the situation to the RSPCA
5. monitor the situation regularly and reinforce the fact that the old man is being unkind to those animals that are worst affected

Answer 16

5. monitor the situation regularly and reinforce the fact that the old man is being unkind to those animals that are worst affected

Question 17

Which of these would not necessarily contribute to overgrown teeth in a rat?

1. Dental enamel is continuously growing.
2. Teeth may be mal-aligned
3. There may be a tumour present in the oral nasal area
4. The rat has not been given any wood to chew.
5. The condition may be inherited.

Answer 17

4. The rat has not been given any wood to chew.

Question 18

A gross margin analysis is a useful economic assessment tool for an agribusiness. Why is this?

1. A gross margin analysis allows the farmer to assess the full profits of his farm
2. A gross margin analysis allows the farmer to determine the costs and benefits of change on their farm
3. A gross margin analysis would indicate if a livestock unit is making positive additions to the general farm business.
4. A gross margin analysis gives an assessment of the efficiency of a livestock enterprise.
5. A gross margin analysis can estimate the number of cows a dairy farmer should be keeping to maximise his profit

Answer 18

3. A gross margin analysis would indicate if a livestock unit is making positive additions to the general farm business.

Question 19

Recognise cultural difference in the reasons for keeping livestock
Question. Small scale farmers in the semi arid regions of Africa keep cattle for a variety of reasons. There is one reason that is particularly important and probably applies to almost all those farmers. What is that reason ? Is it

1. cattle provide financial security
2. cattle provide a regular income from milk
3. cattle are self-reliant
4. cattle can tolerate water deprivation
5. cattle are used as bride price (dowries)

Answer 19

1. cattle provide financial security

Question 20

In Peru, llamas are mainly kept for what purpose?

1. Entertainment
2. For scaring off predators
3. As beasts of burden
4. As status symbols
5. Fleece production

Answer 20

3. As beasts of burden

Question 21

What are the main species comprising the group of South American Camelids?

1. Llama, Vicuna, Guanaco, Dromedary
2. Llama, Alpaca, Bactrian, Vicuna
3. Alpaca, Bactrian, Dromedary, Llama
4. Alpaca, Llama, Vicuna, Guanaco

Answer 21

3. Alpaca, Bactrian, Dromedary, Llama

Question 22

What is likely to be the limiting amino acid in a cereal based poultry diet?

1. Lycine
2. Arginine
3. Leucine
4. Histamine
5. Threonine

Answer 22

Lycine

Question 23

What is the term P2 used to classify in pig production?

1. Grade of Pork produced in a carcase
2. A second grade boar
3. Fat depth in a carcase
4. Second parity sow
5. Second pig born in a litter

Answer 23

3. Fat depth in a carcase

Question 24

Which of the following statements about the core disciplines of Veterinary Public Health is correct?

1. Effective environmental protection requires activity on many different fronts from limiting global environmental threats to advising farmers on good farming practice to protect soil, water and air quality.
2. The overall goal of food safety is to prevent adverse effects of unsafe food on human health.
3. Zoonoses are diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans.
4. Zoonoses are diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans and not only from animals to humans.
5. Animal epizootics spread through direct contact between infectious and susceptible animals.
6. Animal welfare is concerned about the prevention of pain and suffering in domestic animals and requires examination of both the physical and mental state of these animals.

Answer 24

2. The overall goal of food safety is to prevent adverse effects of unsafe food on human health.

Question 25

What are the main species comprising the group of South American Camelids?

1. Llama, Vicuna, Guanaco, Dromedary
2. Llama, Alpaca, Bactrian, Vicuna
3. Alpaca, Bactrian, Dromedary, Llama
4. Alpaca, Llama, Vicuna, Guanaco

Answer 25

4. Alpaca, Llama, Vicuna, Guanaco

Question 26

What is likely to be the limiting amino acid in a cereal based poultry diet?

1. Lysine
2. Arginine
3. Leucine
4. Histamine
5. Threonine

Answer 26

1. Lysine

Question 27

What is the term P2 used to classify in pig production?

1. Grade of Pork produced in a carcase
2. A second grade boar
3. Fat depth in a carcase
4. Second parity sow
5. Second pig born in a litter

Answer 27

3. Fat depth in a carcase

Question 28

Which of the following statements about the core disciplines of Veterinary Public Health is correct?

1. Effective environmental protection requires activity on many different fronts from limiting global environmental threats to advising farmers on good farming practice to protect soil, water and air quality.
2. The overall goal of food safety is to prevent adverse effects of unsafe food on human health.
3. Zoonoses are diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans.
4. Zoonoses are diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans and not only from animals to humans.
5. Animal epizootics spread through direct contact between infectious and susceptible animals.
6. Animal welfare is concerned about the prevention of pain and suffering in domestic animals and requires examination of both the physical and mental state of these animals.

Answer 28

2. The overall goal of food safety is to prevent adverse effects of unsafe food on human health.