Download this WAEC Animal Husbandry Syllabus to study smart and excel in your exams
Home » WAEC Syllabus » The WAEC Animal Husbandry syllabus is essential for all students taking Animal Husbandry as part of their WAEC exam subjects. If you are interested in careers like agriculture, veterinary medicine, and food production, then you may have to write Animal Husbandry in your WAEC exams.
This syllabus serves as a detailed guide, outlining what you need to know for the exam. By studying the syllabus and working through past questions, you will be better prepared for your exam.
Each section of the syllabus covers key topics and concepts in Animal Husbandry like the importance and classes of farm animals, animal nutrition, pasture, etc. Make sure you go through the syllabus and practice your past questions as this will help you understand the subject making the exam easier to tackle.
There will be three papers, Papers 1, 2 and 3 all of which must be taken. Papers 1 and 2 will be a composite paper to be taken in one sitting
PAPER 1: Will consist of forty multiple choice questions all of which should be answered within 40 minutes for 40 marks.
PAPER 2: Will consist of six essay questions drawn from the entire syllabus. Each question carries 20 marks. Candidates will be required to answer four questions within 2 hours for a total of 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 consist of four questions all of which should be answered within 1½ hours for 60marks
| WAEC ANIMAL HUSBANDRY SYLLABUS | ||
| SN | TOPIC | OBJECTIVES |
| PAPER I & II | ||
| A: LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION | ||
| 1 | IMPORTANCE OF FARM ANIMALS | i. Source of food(meat, milk, eggs, honey etc); ii. Raw materials e.g. hide and skin, bones, hooves, hair/fur, egg shells; iii. Source of manure (fertilizer, biogas, biofuel), growing of maggots and earthworms; iv. Source of feed ingredients- blood meal, bone meal, meat and bone meal, snail shell, eggshell, feathers etc; v. Animal power (animal traction, transportation); vi. Research (laboratory, field), drugs, vaccines, hormones etc; vii. Source of employment; viii. Sales of products and by-products; ix. Social functions e.g. payment of bride price, cultural displays (weddings); x. For security e.g. ducks, bees, turkeys; xi. As pets e.g. rabbits, sheep, chickens; xii. Sports and games e.g. horse racing |
| 2 | CLASSIFICATION OF FARM ANIMALS | a) Classification of farm animals i. Simple stomach (non-ruminant or monogastric). e.g. poultry (avian), pig (swine), rabbits, horses, donkeys, snails, bees, and grasscutters; ii. Complex stomach (polygastric or ruminants) i.e. cattle, sheep and goat. b) Identification of ruminants and non-ruminants i. external features of common ruminants and non-ruminants; ii. differences should be based on the type of stomach and type of feed consumed. |
| 3 | INTERNAL ORGANS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN FARM ANIMALS | i. 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 |
| 4 | BODY SYSTEMS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN FARM ANIMALS | i. Discussions should include digestive, respiratory, nervous, circulatory, skeletal, reproductive systems. ii. Students are expected to understand the functions of each system. |
| 5 | REPRODUCTION IN FARM ANIMALS | i. Discussion should include ovulation, oestrus cycle, heat period, signs of heat, mating, gestation, parturition, lactation, colostrum, flushing, steaming up, dystocia, vaginal prolapse etc. ii. Discussion should include detection of heat, mating systems, pregnancy detection and signs of parturition. iii. Knowledge of the process of egg formation in poultry is required iv. Sources and roles of female hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, relaxin, oxytocin etc) and male hormones (testosterone/androgen) should be emphasised. v. 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 ectoparasites, parturition etc |
| 6 | LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM | i. Knowledge of livestock management systems: intensive, semi-intensive and extensive system is required. ii. Discussion should include advantages and disadvantages of each of the systems. |
| 7 | MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF LIVESTOCK | i. Knowledge of livestock management systems: intensive, semi-intensive and extensive systems is required. ii. Discussion should include the advantages and disadvantages of each of the systems. |
| B: ANIMAL NUTRITION | ||
| 9 | MEANING AND CLASSES OF ANIMAL FEEDS | i. 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. ii. Students should also be exposed to the classification of animal feeds into concentrates, roughages, supplements, feed additives etc. |
| 10 | ANIMAL FEED AND FEEDING | i. The study should include the meaning of livestock rations and types (balanced, maintenance, production rations. ii. Students should know about 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. |
| 11 | FORMULATION OF LIVESTOCK RATIONS | i. Students should be exposed to practical diet formulations for the different classes of farm animals (starter, grower and finisher diets). ii. Students should be able to identify different feed ingredients used for diet formulations e.g. blood meal, fish meal, cotton seed cake, oyster shell, groundnut cake, maize grains, salt, premix, glycine etc. iii. 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. |
| 12 | PROCESSING AND MARKETING OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS | i. The processing techniques to include; pre-slaughtering, slaughtering and post-slaughtering activities. ii. Hygienic conditions in processing are also important. iii. Students should understand slaughtering techniques for different farm animals. Students should also be exposed to the processing of animal products e.g. egg, milk, meat, skin, wool, honey, snail shell and feathers, fur, hooves, horns, blood, and faeces/droppings into other forms (value addition). iv. 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. |
| C: PASTURE AND RANGE MANAGEMENT | ||
| 13 | PASTURE MANAGEMENT | i. Discussion should include definition, examples and importance of pasture and forage crops. ii. Understanding of the types and features of pasture and forage crops is required. iii. Knowledge of basic terminologies in pasture management is required. |
| 14 | RANGE IMPROVEMENT | i. Understanding of the meaning and features of rangeland is required. ii. Knowledge of methods of rangeland improvement (reseeding, rotational grazing, controlled stocking, deferred grazing, controlled burning, fertilizer application, pest control, disease control etc is required. iii. 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. |
| D: ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT | ||
| 15 | ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT | i. Understanding of the meaning and terminologies used in animal improvement is required. ii. Knowledge of aims: high reproductive efficiency, potency, mothering ability, cool temperament, high libido, resistance to pests, resistance to diseases, tolerance to harsh environment, etc is required. |
| 16 | METHODS OF FARM ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT | i. Discussion should include various methods used in farm animal improvement: introduction, selection and breeding ii. Students are required to understand the merits and demerits of each method used in farm animal improvement. |
| 17 | ARTIFICIAL INSERMINATION | i. Explanation of the term artificial insemination is required ii. Discussion to include identification of materials, methods, steps and precautions in carrying out artificial insemination. iii. Knowledge of the advantages of artificial insemination is required |
| E: ANIMAL HEALTH | ||
| 18 | FARM ANIMAL DISEASES AND PATHOGENS | i. Knowledge of the meaning and causal agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa) of diseases in farm animals is required. ii. 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 faces, ruffled feathers or fur, standing hair, undue noise, excessive salivation, anaemia, staggering gait, difficulty in breathing, coma, sudden death etc. iii. 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. |
| 19 | LIVESTOCK PARASITE AND PESTS | i. Understanding of the meaning, classes, control/prevention and effects of parasites on farm animals is required. Discussion to include lif cycles of the parasites. Ability to identify and understand economic importance of ecto-parasites (ticks, lice, mites, fleas etc.) and endo-parasites (tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, pinworm, liver fluke, trypanosome etc) is required. ii. Knowledge of livestock pests (rodents, snakes, soldier ants, birds, weevils, termites, flies etc), prevention/control using dewormers, acaricides, pesticides and ethno veterinary practices, and effects of pests on farm animals will be assessed. Ability to identify and knowledge of economic importance of storage pests (rodents, weevils, termites, cockroaches etc), field pests (soldier ants, birds, snakes flies etc) are required. |
| PAPER III: PRACTICALS | ||
| 20 | PRODUCTS & BY-PRODUCTS OF FARM ANIMALS | 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. |
| 21 | IDENTIFICATION OF FARM ANIMALS | i. describe, draw and label the external parts of farm animals. |
| 22 | INTERNAL ORGANS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN FARM ANIMALS | i. Identifying and drawing the major internal structures in the various body systems of a named ruminant, poultry and pig is required. ii. Differences in the structures and their functions will also be assessed. |
| 23 | FEEDS AND FEED STUFFS | i. 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 nonconventional(jack bean, rumen digesta, cassava peel etc) and the major nutrients they contain |
| 24 | PASTURE AND FORAGE CROPS | i. identify and the knowledge of uses of common pasture and forage crops are required. ii. Hay and silage making should be discussed. |
| 25 | ARTIFICIAL INSERMINATION | i. identify the tools and equipment and their uses are required. ii. Simple techniques of semen collection, preservation and insemination should be discussed. |
| 26 | PESTS AND PARASITES OF FARM ANIMALS | i. Identify and knowledge of the economic importance of ectoparasites (ticks, lice, mites, fleas etc) and endoparasites (tapeworm, roundworms, hook worm, pin worm, liver fluke, trypanosomes etc) are required. ii. The study should also include life cycles, prevention and control of these parasites. |
1. Animal Husbandry for Senior Secondary Schools 1-3 Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council by NERDC, 2000
2. Essential Animal Husbandry textbook by G.C Banerjee
3. Principles of Animal Husbandry SHS 1-3
To create a good study schedule, I would advise you to draw up a reading timetable for all the subjects you will be taking in the WAEC exams. With this, you know the subjects you are to read for the day and the number of hours for each.
Some common mistakes include rushing through the exam, not reading questions carefully, and not managing your time well. Remember to cross-check your work and make your writing legible enough.
Animal Husbandry is not compulsory for everyone. But if you want to study Veterinary medicine in university or any medical or science course, having Animal Husbandry on your list of 9 subjects wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Focus on all topics listed in the syllabus. They all have the same level of importance.
Continuous practice is the key. Practice solving objective questions from your past questions to familiarize yourself with the question format.
If you’re unsure about a question, skip it and move on to other questions you understand and can answer. Then come back to those you don’t understand and think about it some more. Don’t spend too much time on a question that is confusing you. It’s better to focus on questions that you are more confident about.
As a general rule, you should spend no more than 3 minutes on each question. However, it’s important to keep an eye on the clock and make sure you’re spending an appropriate amount of time on each question. You don’t want to rush through and make careless mistakes!
