Types, Distribution and Uses of Farm Animals
Cattle
They are kept mainly for beef and milk production. There are different types of cattles and classification is based on their uses.
- Dairy cattle – Cattle kept for milk production. e.g White Fulani
- Beef cattle – Cattle kept for meat production. e.g. Sokoto Gudali
- Dual Purpose Cattle – Cattle kept for both milk and meat production. e.g. White Fulani and Kuri Dairy Breeds
- Long horned humped Zebu – White Fulani, Red Bororo, Jet Koram
- Short horned humped Zebu – Sokoto Gudali, Yola or Adamawa Beef Brands
- Long horned humpless cattle – Ndama, Kuri
- Short horned humpless cattle – Muturu, Ghana short horn
Terms used in describing cattle
- Bulls – Adult male cattle
- Cow – Adult female cattle
- Heifer – Female cattle
- Bullock – Castrated male cattle
- Calf – Young cattle
- Bull Calf – Male calf
- Heifer Calf – Female calf
- Calving or Parturition – Giving birth to a calf
- Dairy Cattle – Cattle kept solely for milk production
- Beef Cattle – Cattle kept solely for meat production
- Beef – Meat from cattle
Goats
One of the earliest domesticated animal. They are kept for milk and meat production.
Types of Goats
The Sokoto Red – Well defined breed with uniform red colour in both sexes.
- Kano Brown – Medium sized animal with brown colour
- Sahel Goat – Medium to large sized animal found in scanty vegetation
- Borno White
- West African Dwarf Goat
Terms used in describing Goats
- Billy – Adult male goat
- Nanny – Adult female goat
- Buck – Male goat of breeding age
- Doe – A female goat of breeding age
- Kid – A young goat of either sex
- Kidding – Process of giving birth
- Heat Period – Period in which the female is most likely to accept a male
- Oestrus Cycle – Time interval between heat periods
- Gestation – Period between conception and birth
- Lactation – Act of producing milk
- Udder – The mammary gland which produces milk
- Weaning – Stopping an animal from suckling the mothers milk
- Castrate – Castrated billy
- Herd – Group of adult goat
Sheep
They are hollow-horned , even-toed ruminants which are said to have probably originated from Iran or Iraq area.
Types of Sheep
Three well known breeds
- The Ouda – The commonest breed. Rams have large, wide and spiral horns and ewe are polled (hornless). They have a characteristic long and pendulous ears with a distinct colour. They have long legs and long tiny tails. They are kept for meat production.
- Yankasa – This breed is commonly found in North. The rams have long curved horns while ewes may have short horns or polled. They have moderately floppy ears. They are mainly kept for meat production.
- West African Dwarf Sheep – This is smallest breed of sheep in West Africa. They are found in humid areas of West Africa. They have short horizontal ears with the males horned and females polled.
Terms used in describing Sheep
- Ram – Adult male sheep
- Ewe – Adult female sheep
- Gimmer – Young female
- Lamb – Young sheep of either sex
- Tupping – Act of mating Sheep
- Wether – Castrates male sheep
- Lambing – Process of giving birth to sheep
- Flock – Group of adult sheep
Poultry
Poultry refers to all domesticated bird raised for meat, eggs or feather. These include chicken, geese, ducks, guinea fowl, turkeys.
Types of Fowls
The Exotic Breeds
- The Leghorns – Originated from the Mediterranean region. they are kept for egg production. Two types, the brown and the white leghorn
- Rhode Island Red – Foreign breed from America. A dual purpose for meat and egg production. Eggs are large with brown shells
- Plymouth Rock – Kept for egg production
- New Hampshire – Dual purpose breed for egg and meat production
Local Breeds
Breed that resulted from crosses between two different breed commonly known as cross breed.
Terms used in describing chickens
- Cock – Adult male
- Hen – Adult female
- Cockerel – Young male
- Pullet – Young female
- Chick – Young chicken pf either sex
- Capon – Castrated chicken
- Treading – Mating of chickens
- In-lay – Pregnancy
- Parturition – Process of laying eggs
- Clutch – A group of young chickens
- Flock – A group of adult chicken
Factors affecting the Geographical distribution of Farm animal in Nigeria
- Climate – Average weather conditions of a place. It includes factors such as rainfall, temperature, light, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity and wind. Climate to an extent determines the number of farm animals that can be distributed to an area.
- Availability of Natural Pasture
- Religious and Social Factor
Assessment
Use the following options to answer the questions below.
Heifer, Udder, Ewe, Capon, Beef cattle, Wether, Nanny, Buck, Gestation, Bullock, Ram, Parturition, In-lay, Lactation, Heat period, Kidding, Calf, Clutch, Diary cattle, Cow, Bull, Calf, Pullet, Weaning, Cockerel, Doe, Kid, Billy, Gimmer.
- Cattle kept solely for milk production is called ____
- ___ means giving birth to a calf
- The act of mating in sheep is called ____
- The period between conception and birth is called ____
- A group of young chicken is called ___
- Castrated male cattle is called ____
- The mammary gland which produces milk is called ____
- A young female chicken is called ____
- A young female sheep is called ___
- Young cattle is called ____
- A castrated chicken is called ____
- Mating in chicken is referred to as ___
- Period in which the female is most likely to accept a male is called _____
- The process of giving birth is called ____
- Castrated male sheep is called ____