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Maharashtra HSC Animal Science & Technology study materials
Maharashtra HSC Animal Science & Technology study resources

Maharashtra HSC Animal Science & Technology practice questions

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Question 1Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which term describes the scientific study of farm animals with emphasis on their production, breeding, nutrition and management for human benefit?

  1. Veterinary pathology
  2. Animal science Correct answer.
  3. Animal husbandry
  4. Wildlife ecology

Explanation

Animal science is the broad discipline that applies genetics, nutrition, physiology and economics to the production and management of livestock. Animal husbandry is the practical rearing of animals and is a component of the wider field rather than its full scientific description. Veterinary pathology and wildlife ecology deal with disease mechanisms and wild populations respectively, so they do not define the study of farm animal production.

Question 2Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

In Maharashtra, which species contributes the largest share of total milk production in the state?

  1. Cattle
  2. Buffalo Correct answer.
  3. Goat
  4. Sheep

Explanation

Buffaloes, particularly the Murrah and local non-descript crossbreds, account for the majority of milk produced in Maharashtra because of higher fat content and greater per-animal yield. Cattle are the second major contributor, while goats and sheep supply only small quantities of milk. This pattern reflects the state's dairy economy and the premium paid for buffalo milk in local markets.

Question 3Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

A farmer keeps animals whose stomach has four compartments and which regurgitates food for re-chewing. This digestive arrangement is characteristic of which group?

  1. Ruminants Correct answer.
  2. Monogastric animals
  3. Poultry
  4. Pseudo-ruminants

Explanation

Ruminants possess a four-chambered stomach comprising the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum, and they regurgitate ingesta to re-masticate it as cud. This allows microbial fermentation of fibrous feed before true gastric digestion. Monogastric animals have a single simple stomach, poultry have a proventriculus and gizzard, and pseudo-ruminants such as camels have a different compartment arrangement.

Question 4Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which breeding system involves mating animals that are more closely related than the average of the breed, in order to fix desirable traits?

  1. Outcrossing
  2. Crossbreeding
  3. Grading up
  4. Inbreeding Correct answer.

Explanation

Inbreeding is the mating of individuals more closely related than the average of the population, and it increases homozygosity so that desirable traits can be fixed. It also raises the risk of inbreeding depression, so it is used cautiously with strict culling. Outcrossing, crossbreeding and grading up all involve unrelated or different genetic groups and do not aim at fixing traits within a line.

Question 5Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which of the following is a major zoonotic disease of livestock that is controlled in India through vaccination and milk pasteurisation?

  1. Foot-and-mouth disease
  2. Mastitis
  3. Brucellosis Correct answer.
  4. Bloat

Explanation

Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonosis transmitted to humans mainly through unpasteurised milk and direct contact with infected animals, causing undulant fever. Control relies on vaccination of calves, testing and culling, and pasteurisation of milk. Foot-and-mouth disease and mastitis are important livestock diseases but are not typically transmitted to humans in this way, and bloat is a digestive disorder.

Question 6Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which livestock production system relies almost entirely on grazing natural pasture with minimal purchased feed and housing?

  1. Zero-grazing system
  2. Intensive system
  3. Semi-intensive system
  4. Extensive system Correct answer.

Explanation

Extensive systems depend largely on natural grazing and allow animals to range over large areas with little supplementary feeding or housing. They have low input costs but lower productivity per animal. Intensive and zero-grazing systems involve confinement and purchased feed, while semi-intensive systems combine grazing with some supplementary feeding.

Question 7Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which of the following best describes the concept of heterosis in livestock breeding?

  1. The superior performance of crossbred offspring over the average of their parents Correct answer.
  2. The selection of animals based on their own record of performance
  3. The transmission of a single dominant gene for a trait
  4. The reduced vigour seen when close relatives are mated

Explanation

Heterosis, or hybrid vigour, is the tendency of crossbred progeny to exceed the average of the parental breeds in traits such as growth, fertility and survival. It arises from increased heterozygosity and is greatest for lowly heritable traits. Inbreeding depression, single-gene inheritance and individual selection describe different genetic phenomena.

Question 8Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

A dairy farmer wants to improve the fat percentage of milk in a herd over several generations. Which approach is most appropriate?

  1. Crossing with a breed known for high milk yield alone
  2. Selecting bulls whose daughters show high fat percentage Correct answer.
  3. Culling animals on the basis of coat colour
  4. Selecting cows only on the basis of daily milk volume

Explanation

Fat percentage is a heritable trait, and since bulls contribute half the genes to their daughters, progeny testing of bulls for daughter fat percentage gives genetic gain in the herd. Selecting cows only for volume may reduce fat percentage because of an unfavourable relationship. Crossbreeding for yield alone and culling on coat colour do not target fat percentage.

Question 9Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which feedstuff is classified as a concentrate rather than a roughage?

  1. Groundnut cake Correct answer.
  2. Maize silage
  3. Berseem hay
  4. Sugarcane bagasse

Explanation

Concentrates are feeds low in crude fibre and high in digestible nutrients, and groundnut cake is an oilseed meal rich in protein and energy. Maize silage, berseem hay and sugarcane bagasse are roughages because they contain high levels of fibre and lower digestible energy. The classification depends on fibre content and nutrient density rather than on the physical form of the feed.

Question 10Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

A village has abundant crop residues but limited grazing land. Which livestock enterprise is most suited to these conditions?

  1. Free-range poultry on pasture
  2. Large-scale sheep ranching on open range
  3. Stall-fed buffalo dairying using crop residues Correct answer.
  4. Extensive goat herding on forest land

Explanation

Crop residues such as straw and stover can be fed to stall-fed buffaloes, allowing productive dairying even where grazing land is scarce. The other enterprises depend on substantial grazing or free-range land, which is precisely the resource that is limited. Buffaloes also convert fibrous residues efficiently because of rumen fermentation.

Question 11Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which hormone is primarily responsible for milk let-down in dairy animals?

  1. Testosterone
  2. Oxytocin Correct answer.
  3. Progesterone
  4. Oestrogen

Explanation

Oxytocin is released from the posterior pituitary in response to teat stimulation and causes contraction of myoepithelial cells around the alveoli, ejecting milk into the ducts. Progesterone and oestrogen are mainly involved in reproduction and mammary development. Testosterone is the principal male sex hormone and plays no role in milk let-down.

Question 12Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

An animal showing symptoms of a disease is reported to the local veterinary officer. Which measure is most important to prevent spread within the herd?

  1. Isolating the affected animal and disinfecting its surroundings Correct answer.
  2. Mixing the sick animal with healthy animals for observation
  3. Increasing the feeding level of the entire herd
  4. Delaying treatment until more animals show symptoms

Explanation

Isolation of the affected animal limits contact transmission, and disinfection of the premises reduces the infectious load in the environment. Prompt reporting and veterinary treatment further contain the outbreak. Mixing sick and healthy animals, overfeeding the herd and delaying treatment all favour the spread of infection.

Question 13Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which of the following correctly pairs a cattle breed with its recognised production type?

  1. Jaffarabadi buffalo with a draught type
  2. Red Sindhi with a dual-purpose milch type Correct answer.
  3. Khillar with a draught type
  4. Kankrej with a pure dairy type

Explanation

Red Sindhi is a well-known Indian milch breed valued for its dairy performance and adaptability, and it is often described as a milch or dual-purpose type. Khillar is a draught breed of cattle, Jaffarabadi is a milch buffalo breed, and Kankrej is a dual-purpose draught and milch breed rather than a pure dairy type. Correct breed-type pairing is essential in livestock classification.

Question 14Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which practice is most appropriate for improving the productivity of non-descript local cattle in a village herd?

  1. Repeated mating with local non-descript bulls
  2. Artificial insemination with semen of proven superior bulls Correct answer.
  3. Culling all female calves from the herd
  4. Random mating without any record keeping

Explanation

Artificial insemination with semen from proven superior bulls introduces desirable genes for milk yield and growth without the cost of maintaining bulls, and it supports genetic improvement. Repeated local mating, indiscriminate culling of female calves and random mating without records all fail to improve the genetic base. Record keeping is necessary to evaluate progress.

Question 15Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which of the following is a major reason for the low productivity of Indian livestock compared with global averages?

  1. Overuse of artificial insemination in villages
  2. Complete absence of livestock markets
  3. Predominance of low-producing non-descript animals and poor nutrition Correct answer.
  4. Excessive use of balanced concentrate feed

Explanation

A large share of India's livestock consists of non-descript, low-producing animals, and nutritional deficiencies in quantity and quality of feed further limit output. These genetic and nutritional constraints together explain much of the productivity gap with global averages. Balanced feeding and artificial insemination are actually improvement measures, and livestock markets are widely available.

Question 16Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

In a breeding programme, a trait with high heritability is best improved by which method?

  1. Heavy reliance on crossbreeding with unrelated breeds
  2. Selection based on the individual's own performance Correct answer.
  3. Random mating within the population
  4. Environmental modification without genetic selection

Explanation

When heritability is high, a large part of the phenotypic variation is genetic, so selecting animals on their own performance, termed individual or mass selection, gives rapid response. Crossbreeding is more useful for lowly heritable traits where heterosis matters most. Environmental modification alone and random mating do not change gene frequencies systematically.

Question 17Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

A buffalo herd is fed a high-grain diet and several animals show reduced rumination, frothy salivation and distended left flank. Which condition is most likely, and what is the immediate management step?

  1. Bloat, with immediate removal of concentrates and provision of roughage Correct answer.
  2. Milk fever, with intravenous calcium administration
  3. Ketosis, with oral glucose supplementation
  4. Foot rot, with topical antiseptic dressing

Explanation

The signs of distended left flank, reduced rumination and frothy salivation after a high-grain diet point to ruminal bloat or acidosis, and the immediate step is to withdraw concentrates and provide long roughage to restore rumen function. Milk fever and ketosis occur mainly around calving and show nervous or metabolic signs rather than flank distension. Foot rot affects the feet and is unrelated to the diet described.

Question 18Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which statement best explains why crossbreeding is widely used in commercial poultry production?

  1. It guarantees that offspring breed true in later generations
  2. It eliminates the need for nutritional management
  3. It exploits heterosis for growth and egg production in the offspring Correct answer.
  4. It fixes recessive lethal genes in the parent lines

Explanation

Commercial poultry rely on crosses between selected lines so that the offspring show heterosis for growth rate, feed efficiency and egg production. These advantages are expressed in the crossbred generation, which is why producers buy fresh parent stock rather than breeding from the commercial birds. Crossbreeding does not fix lethal genes, remove nutritional requirements or breed true in later generations.

Question 19Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

A farmer reports that milk yield falls sharply whenever the milking routine or milker changes. Which physiological explanation is most appropriate?

  1. Inhibition of oxytocin release due to stress, reducing milk let-down Correct answer.
  2. Increased secretion of progesterone blocking the ducts
  3. Permanent loss of alveolar tissue from the change
  4. Immediate decline in the fat content of the milk

Explanation

Milk let-down depends on a conditioned reflex in which familiar milking stimuli trigger oxytocin release. Stress or unfamiliar handling inhibits oxytocin secretion, so alveolar milk is not ejected and yield appears to fall. The effect is functional and reversible rather than a loss of tissue or a change in fat content, and progesterone is not the mediator of this response.

Question 20Introduction to Animal Science and Livestock Production Systems

Which of the following is the primary objective of the National Livestock Mission type of government programme in Maharashtra?

  1. Banning the rearing of small ruminants
  2. Replacing all cattle with exotic breeds
  3. Promoting sustainable livestock development and entrepreneurship Correct answer.
  4. Restricting milk sale to urban markets only

Explanation

Such programmes aim to promote sustainable livestock development, enhance fodder and feed resources, and support entrepreneurship and employment in the sector. They do not seek to replace all local cattle with exotic breeds, restrict milk sales geographically or ban small ruminant rearing. The focus is on inclusive growth and improved productivity.

Question 21Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

In ruminants, the largest compartment of the stomach by volume in the adult animal is the:

  1. Reticulum
  2. Abomasum
  3. Omasum
  4. Rumen Correct answer.

Explanation

The adult rumen is the largest forestomach compartment, holding the bulk of ingested feed where microbial fermentation occurs. The reticulum is much smaller, the omasum is a small leaf-lined organ, and the abomasum is the true glandular stomach.

Question 22Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The principal function of the omasum in a cow is to:

  1. Secrete hydrochloric acid and pepsinogen
  2. Absorb water and volatile fatty acids and reduce particle size Correct answer.
  3. Store undigested coarse fibre before rumination
  4. House protozoa for cellulose fermentation

Explanation

The omasum's many longitudinal leaves squeeze digesta, absorbing water and volatile fatty acids and passing finer particles onward. Acid and pepsinogen secretion belong to the abomasum, and fermentation is a rumen function.

Question 23Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A sheep is passing pale, clay-coloured faeces with jaundice. Which organ should be examined first as the likely source of the problem?

  1. Kidney
  2. Pancreas
  3. Liver Correct answer.
  4. Spleen

Explanation

Pale clay-coloured faeces indicate failure of bile pigments to reach the intestine, and jaundice points to impaired bilirubin handling. Both are functions of the liver and biliary tract, so the liver is the primary organ to investigate.

Question 24Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The normal resting respiratory rate of an adult cattle (cow) is approximately:

  1. 60 to 90 breaths per minute
  2. 100 to 120 breaths per minute
  3. 10 to 30 breaths per minute Correct answer.
  4. 2 to 6 breaths per minute

Explanation

Healthy adult cattle breathe about 10 to 30 times per minute at rest, with higher rates in heat or after exercise. Rates far below or above this range suggest disease or stress and should prompt clinical assessment.

Question 25Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Rumination in cattle is initiated mainly by:

  1. Mechanical stimulation of the reticulum by coarse feed particles Correct answer.
  2. Secretion of bile into the duodenum
  3. A rise in blood glucose after feeding
  4. Increased parasympathetic tone during exercise

Explanation

Coarse fibre particles stimulate reticulo-ruminal receptors, triggering regurgitation and remastication during rumination. This is why adequate long fibre in the ration is essential for normal rumen function.

Question 26Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Which stomach compartment is the site of true enzymatic digestion with hydrochloric acid in a goat?

  1. Rumen
  2. Omasum
  3. Reticulum
  4. Abomasum Correct answer.

Explanation

The abomasum is the glandular stomach where acid and pepsinogen digest feed protein. The forestomach compartments rely on microbial fermentation rather than acid secretion.

Question 27Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A dairy cow fed a high-concentrate diet develops rumen pH of 5.2 with reduced feed intake. The most likely condition is:

  1. Hypocalcaemia
  2. Subacute ruminal acidosis Correct answer.
  3. Ketosis
  4. Bloat

Explanation

A rumen pH below about 5.5 with reduced intake after a high-concentrate meal indicates subacute ruminal acidosis from volatile fatty acid accumulation. Low calcium causes recumbency, bloat causes distension, and ketosis occurs in negative energy balance.

Question 28Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The main site of water reabsorption in the large intestine of a horse is the:

  1. Oesophagus
  2. Large colon Correct answer.
  3. Duodenum
  4. Stomach

Explanation

The horse's large colon, together with the caecum, hosts microbial fermentation and absorbs much of the water from digesta. The stomach and duodenum are proximal and absorb little water.

Question 29Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Which blood vessel carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs in a mammal?

  1. Aorta
  2. Cranial vena cava
  3. Pulmonary vein
  4. Pulmonary artery Correct answer.

Explanation

The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, which is the standard exception to the rule that arteries carry oxygenated blood. The pulmonary vein returns oxygenated blood to the left atrium.

Question 30Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A dog presents with pale mucous membranes, tachycardia and a haematocrit of 18 percent. Which interpretation is most appropriate?

  1. Leukaemia confirmed by haematocrit alone
  2. Anaemia requiring investigation of blood loss or haemolysis Correct answer.
  3. Polycythaemia due to dehydration
  4. Normal finding in a well-conditioned dog

Explanation

A haematocrit of 18 percent is well below the normal canine range, indicating anaemia. Pale membranes and tachycardia reflect reduced oxygen-carrying capacity, and the cause should be sought among blood loss, haemolysis or reduced production.

Question 31Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

During auscultation of a healthy cow, the rumen contraction sound is normally heard at a frequency of about:

  1. 40 to 50 per minute
  2. 10 to 15 per minute
  3. 20 to 30 per minute
  4. 1 to 3 per minute Correct answer.

Explanation

Normal rumen motility produces roughly one to three contractions per minute, heard as a crescendo-decrescendo rumble in the left paralumbar fossa. Frequencies far above this suggest hypermotility, while absence suggests stasis.

Question 32Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The primary lymphoid organ in which T lymphocytes mature in mammals is the:

  1. Spleen
  2. Bone marrow
  3. Lymph node
  4. Thymus Correct answer.

Explanation

T lymphocytes originate in bone marrow and mature in the thymus, where self-tolerance is established. B lymphocytes mature in bone marrow, while the spleen and lymph nodes are peripheral sites of immune responses.

Question 33Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Colostrum must be fed to a newborn calf within the first few hours of life mainly because:

  1. Colostrum provides the only source of dietary calcium
  2. It supplies the microbes needed to establish rumen flora
  3. Intestinal absorption of maternal antibodies declines rapidly after birth Correct answer.
  4. It prevents rumen fermentation from starting too early

Explanation

The calf is born essentially agammaglobulinaemic, and gut closure limits absorption of large antibody molecules within roughly the first day. Early colostrum intake therefore determines passive transfer of immunity.

Question 34Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Which of the following is a characteristic of the avian respiratory system that differs from mammals?

  1. Absence of lungs
  2. Presence of a diaphragm dividing the coelomic cavity
  3. Diffusion of oxygen directly through the skin
  4. Presence of air sacs that act as bellows for unidirectional airflow Correct answer.

Explanation

Birds have lungs plus air sacs that ventilate the lungs with a unidirectional airflow, supporting efficient gas exchange during flight. Birds do have lungs and lack a mammalian diaphragm.

Question 35Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A goat with a body temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius, drooling and mouth ulcers in a flock is most likely affected by:

  1. Peste des petits ruminants Correct answer.
  2. Foot rot
  3. Mastitis
  4. Ketosis

Explanation

High fever with oral erosions, drooling and flock-level spread is typical of peste des petits ruminants, a contagious viral disease of sheep and goats. Mastitis affects the udder, foot rot affects hooves, and ketosis occurs in late pregnancy or early lactation.

Question 36Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The normal body temperature of an adult horse is approximately:

  1. 42.0 to 43.0 degrees Celsius
  2. 37.5 to 38.5 degrees Celsius Correct answer.
  3. 40.0 to 41.5 degrees Celsius
  4. 34.0 to 35.5 degrees Celsius

Explanation

Adult horses normally maintain a rectal temperature of about 37.5 to 38.5 degrees Celsius. Values above 39 degrees Celsius suggest fever, while markedly low readings suggest debility or shock.

Question 37Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A cow with a left-sided ping and distended left paralumbar fossa that has not responded to trocarisation may have which condition?

  1. Caudal vena cava thrombosis
  2. Left displaced abomasum Correct answer.
  3. Traumatic reticuloperitonitis
  4. Rumen acidosis

Explanation

A high-pitched ping over the left flank in a recently calved cow suggests a left displaced abomasum trapped between the rumen and abdominal wall. Traumatic reticuloperitonitis causes pain and fever, while acidosis causes low rumen pH and diarrhoea.

Question 38Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The main function of the crop in poultry is to:

  1. Absorb most of the water from digesta
  2. Store and moisten ingested feed before digestion Correct answer.
  3. Grind feed using grit
  4. Secrete hydrochloric acid

Explanation

The crop is an outpouching of the oesophagus that stores and softens feed before it passes to the proventriculus. Grinding occurs in the gizzard, acid secretion in the proventriculus, and water absorption mainly in the intestines.

Question 39Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

In a bull, the structure that produces the fluid portion of semen and contributes to the seminal plasma is mainly the:

  1. Seminiferous tubules
  2. Epididymis
  3. Rete testis
  4. Accessory sex glands including the seminal vesicles and prostate Correct answer.

Explanation

Seminal plasma comes mainly from the accessory sex glands, particularly the seminal vesicles and prostate. The seminiferous tubules produce spermatozoa, while the epididymis stores and matures sperm.

Question 40Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Which hormone is primarily responsible for milk let-down in a dairy cow?

  1. Oxytocin Correct answer.
  2. Progesterone
  3. Oestrogen
  4. Follicle stimulating hormone

Explanation

Oxytocin released from the posterior pituitary causes contraction of myoepithelial cells around the alveoli, ejecting milk. Progesterone and oestrogen control reproductive cycles, and FSH stimulates follicular development.

Question 41Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A sheep flock shows progressive weight loss, pale mucous membranes and death, with liver flukes found at post-mortem. The intermediate host of the fluke is:

  1. A tick
  2. An earthworm
  3. A freshwater snail Correct answer.
  4. A mosquito

Explanation

Liver flukes such as Fasciola species use freshwater snails as intermediate hosts, releasing cercariae that encyst on herbage. Ticks and mosquitoes transmit other parasites, and earthworms are not intermediate hosts for liver fluke.

Question 42Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

Rumen microorganisms are essential to the host mainly because they:

  1. Produce bile salts for fat digestion
  2. Synthesise hydrochloric acid for protein digestion
  3. Ferment cellulose into volatile fatty acids usable by the animal Correct answer.
  4. Absorb glucose directly from the rumen fluid

Explanation

Rumen bacteria and protozoa break down cellulose and other carbohydrates into volatile fatty acids such as acetate, propionate and butyrate, which the ruminant absorbs as its main energy source. The host lacks mammalian cellulase, so this symbiosis is essential.

Question 43Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

The primary site of nutrient absorption in the small intestine is the:

  1. Gastric pits of the stomach
  2. Haustra of the large colon
  3. Villi and microvilli of the jejunum and ileum Correct answer.
  4. Lumen of the oesophagus

Explanation

Villi and their microvilli greatly increase the absorptive surface of the jejunum and ileum, where most nutrients cross into blood and lymph. The stomach, colon and oesophagus play minor absorptive roles.

Question 44Animal Anatomy, Physiology, and Health Management

A cow calving tonight has a cold, recumbent posture with a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and muscle tremors. The most likely diagnosis is:

  1. Ketosis
  2. Hypocalcaemia (milk fever) Correct answer.
  3. Mastitis
  4. Bloat

Explanation

Hypocalcaemia typically occurs around calving and presents with muscle tremors, cold extremities, recumbency and sometimes subnormal temperature. Bloat causes rumen distension, mastitis causes udder changes, and ketosis causes ketone odour and weight loss.

Question 45Animal Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding Practices

In the Weende proximate analysis system used for evaluating cattle feedstuffs, which fraction is estimated by boiling the sample first in dilute acid and then in dilute alkali?

  1. Crude fibre Correct answer.
  2. Ether extract
  3. Nitrogen-free extract
  4. Total ash

Explanation

Crude fibre is the residue left after sequential digestion with dilute sulphuric acid and dilute sodium hydroxide, followed by drying and ashing. This fraction represents the less digestible structural carbohydrates such as cellulose and lignin-associated material. Nitrogen-free extract is calculated by difference, not by this digestion procedure.

Question 46Animal Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding Practices

A concentrate mixture for a growing calf must supply adequate protein. Which feed ingredient is classified as an oilseed cake and is a good plant protein supplement?

  1. Maize grain
  2. Sugarcane bagasse
  3. Groundnut cake Correct answer.
  4. Rice bran

Explanation

Groundnut cake is the residue left after oil extraction from groundnut seeds and contains a high percentage of crude protein, making it a standard plant protein supplement. Maize grain and rice bran are primarily energy feeds, while sugarcane bagasse is a fibrous roughage by-product.

Question 47Animal Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding Practices

Which mineral is essential for the formation of haemoglobin and is commonly supplemented to prevent nutritional anaemia in piglets?

  1. Iodine
  2. Phosphorus
  3. Calcium
  4. Iron Correct answer.

Explanation

Iron is a structural component of the haem group of haemoglobin, and young piglets reared indoors are highly prone to iron-deficiency anaemia. They are therefore routinely given iron injections or oral iron supplements in the first days of life. Calcium, phosphorus and iodine serve other functions such as bone formation and thyroid hormone synthesis.

Question 48Animal Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding Practices

In ruminant nutrition, the term 'bypass protein' refers to dietary protein that:

  1. Is synthesised by rumen microbes from non-protein nitrogen
  2. Is excreted undigested in the faeces
  3. Is completely degraded by rumen microbes to ammonia
  4. Escapes ruminal degradation and is digested in the abomasum and small intestine Correct answer.

Explanation

Bypass or rumen-undegradable protein passes through the rumen without being fermented by microbes and reaches the abomasum and small intestine intact for enzymatic digestion. This is valuable in high-producing animals whose microbial protein synthesis cannot meet amino acid needs. It should not be confused with microbial protein, which is synthesised inside the rumen.

Question 49Animal Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding Practices

A dairy farmer wants to improve the energy density of the ration without increasing fibre excessively. Which feed is the most suitable energy concentrate?

  1. Lucerne hay
  2. Cottonseed hulls
  3. Wheat straw
  4. Maize grain Correct answer.

Explanation

Maize grain is rich in starch, which is highly digestible and provides concentrated energy, making it a preferred energy concentrate in dairy rations. Wheat straw, lucerne hay and cottonseed hulls are all roughages with high fibre and lower energy density.

Question 50Animal Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding Practices

The process by which rumen microorganisms break down cellulose into volatile fatty acids that serve as the main energy source for ruminants is best described as:

  1. Ruminal eructation
  2. Post-ruminal absorption
  3. Ruminal fermentation Correct answer.
  4. Ruminal regurgitation

Explanation

Ruminal fermentation is the anaerobic microbial digestion of fibrous carbohydrates into volatile fatty acids such as acetate, propionate and butyrate, which ruminants absorb as their principal energy source. Eructation is the release of gases, regurgitation is the return of ingesta for re-mastication, and post-ruminal absorption occurs after the rumen.