• Welcome to your new Gnomio site

    Now, you are in control!

    Moodle is an open-source Learning Management System (LMS) that provides educators with the tools and features to create and manage online courses. It allows educators to organize course materials, create quizzes and assignments, host discussion forums, and track student progress. Moodle is highly flexible and can be customized to meet the specific needs of different institutions and learning environments.

    Moodle supports both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments, enabling educators to host live webinars, video conferences, and chat sessions, as well as providing a variety of tools that support self-paced learning, including videos, interactive quizzes, and discussion forums. The platform also integrates with other tools and systems, such as Google Apps and plagiarism detection software, to provide a seamless learning experience.

    Moodle is widely used in educational institutions, including universities, K-12 schools, and corporate training programs. It is well-suited to online and blended learning environments and distance education programs. Additionally, Moodle's accessibility features make it a popular choice for learners with disabilities, ensuring that courses are inclusive and accessible to all learners.

    The Moodle community is an active group of users, developers, and educators who contribute to the platform's development and improvement. The community provides support, resources, and documentation for users, as well as a forum for sharing ideas and best practices. Moodle releases regular updates and improvements, ensuring that the platform remains up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices.

    Links of interest:

    (You can edit or remove this text)

Available courses

Animal production

---

ANIMAL PRODUCTION NOTES

---

1. Meaning of Animal Production

Animal production refers to the science and practice of breeding, feeding, managing, and caring for domestic animals to obtain useful products such as meat, milk, eggs, wool, hides, and draught power.

---

2. Branches of Animal Production

a) Livestock Production

Rearing of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, camels, rabbits, etc.

b) Poultry Production

Keeping birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, quails, and guinea fowls.

c) Aquaculture

Production of fish and other aquatic organisms.

d) Apiculture

Keeping bees for honey, wax, and pollination.

e) Pasture & Range Management

Establishing and managing pastures to feed livestock.

---

3. Importance of Animal Production

1. Source of food: meat, eggs, milk.

2. Income and employment: livestock sales, value-added products.

3. Raw materials: hides, skins, wool, bones, manure.

4. Draught power: oxen used for ploughing and transport.

5. Soil fertility: manure improves soil structure and nutrients.

6. Cultural importance: dowry, ceremonies, prestige.

---

4. Classes of Livestock

Monogastrics

Pigs, poultry, rabbits.

Ruminants

Cattle, sheep, goats, camels.

Non-ruminant herbivores

Donkeys, horses.

---

5. Animal Nutrition

Types of Feeds

1. Roughages: grass, hay, silage, legumes.

2. Concentrates: maize, cottonseed cake, soybean meal, fishmeal.

3. Supplements: minerals, vitamins.

Feeding Practices

Grazing

Zero-grazing

Feeding schedule (age, production stage)

---

6. Animal Breeding

Methods of Breeding

Natural mating

Artificial insemination (AI)

Selective breeding

Crossbreeding

Breeding Objectives

Improve growth rate

Increase milk or egg production

Improve disease resistance

Better adaptability

---

7. Animal Health

Common Livestock Diseases

Viral: Foot-and-mouth disease, Newcastle disease

Bacterial: Anthrax, Mastitis

Protozoan: East Coast Fever (ECF), Trypanosomiasis

Parasitic: Worms, ticks, lice

Disease Control Methods

Vaccination

Deworming

Good hygiene

Proper housing

Isolation of sick animals

---

8. Animal Housing

Qualities of Good Housing

Well-ventilated

Clean and dry

Spacious

Proper drainage

Protection from predators & harsh weather

Types of Housing

Cattle sheds

Pigsty

Poultry houses

Goat/sheep pens

---

9. Pasture and Range Management

Types of Pastures

Natural pastures

Improved pastures—planted with grasses (e.g., Napier) & legumes.

Pasture Management Practices

Rotational grazing

Reseeding

Fertilizer application

Irrigation

Weed and pest control

---

10. Animal Production Systems

1. Extensive System

Large land area

Low input, free grazing

Common in pastoral areas

2. Semi-intensive System

Partial grazing + supplementary feeding

3. Intensive System

Zero-grazing

High inputs, high productivity

Used in commercial poultry, dairy, and pig farming

---

11. Animal Products

Meat

Milk

Eggs

Wool

Honey

Hides and skins