Animal Health II SS2 Livestock Farming Lesson Note

Understanding Veterinary Drugs

When animals fall sick, we use Veterinary Drugs to help them get better. Think of these as the “medicine box” for the farm. As a farmer, you must know that not all medicines do the same thing.

Types of Common Drugs:

1. Antibiotics: These are used to kill bacteria. If your bird has a respiratory infection (coughing/sneezing), the vet might give an antibiotic. Note: They don’t work on viruses!
2. Anthelmintics (Dewormers): These are drugs used to kill internal worms like tapeworms or roundworms.
3. Analgesics: These are “painkillers.” We use them when an animal is in pain, perhaps after an injury or a difficult birth.
4. Acaricides: These are chemicals used to kill external parasites like ticks and lice (usually applied by spraying or dipping).

The “Withdrawal Period”: This is a very important rule! If you give a cow an injection, you must not sell its milk or meat for a certain number of days (usually 7–14 days). This is because the medicine stays in the meat, and if humans eat it, it can make them sick or resistant to drugs.

Vaccines – The “Shield” of the Farm

While drugs are for sick animals, Vaccines are for healthy animals to keep them from getting sick in the first place.

How does a vaccine work? It is like a “practice battle” for the animal’s body. We give the animal a very weak or dead version of a germ. The animal’s body learns how to fight it. Later, if the real, strong germ attacks, the animal’s “soldiers” (immune system) are ready to win the fight.

Common Livestock Vaccines in Nigeria:

• Gumboro & Lasota: For poultry (chickens).
• Anthrax Vaccine: For cattle and sheep.
• Anti-Rabies: For farm dogs.

Creating a Vaccination Programme

A farmer shouldn’t just vaccinate whenever they feel like it. You need a Vaccination Programme (a timetable).

Why follow a timetable?

1. Timing: Some vaccines must be given when the animal is very young (chicks need their first dose at Day 1 or Day 7).
2. Boosters: Some vaccines need a “reminder” dose after a few months to keep the protection strong.
3. Efficiency: It helps the farmer plan their budget so they don’t run out of money for medicine.

Example of a simple Poultry Schedule:

• Day 1: Marek’s Disease (usually at the hatchery).
• Day 7: Lasota (New Castle Disease).
• Day 14: Gumboro Disease.
• Week 3: Lasota (2nd dose).

Quarantine Practices (The “Waiting Room”)

Quarantine is one of the most powerful tools to keep a farm safe. It simply means keeping new or sick animals away from the healthy ones for a specific time (usually 21 to 40 days).

When do we use Quarantine?

1. Buying New Stock: When you buy a new goat from the market, never put it straight into your main pen. It might look healthy but could be carrying a “hidden” disease.
2. Returning from Shows: If you take your best bull to an agric show or competition, quarantine it when it returns. It might have picked up a germ from other animals there.
3. Returning Escapees: If a pig escapes and spends two days in the bush before you catch it, keep it in quarantine to be sure it didn’t pick up a wild infection.

How to Run a Good Quarantine/Sick Bay

To make quarantine work, you must follow these “Bio-security” rules:

• Separation: The quarantine pen should be far away from the main house (at least 10 meters). Wind shouldn’t blow from the “new” animals to the “old” ones.
• Different Tools: Use a separate broom, bucket, and shovel for the quarantine area. Don’t carry germs back and forth on your tools.
• The “Last Visit” Rule: Always feed and clean your healthy animals first. Visit the quarantine/sick animals last. After that, wash your clothes and boots thoroughly before going back to the main farm.
• Observation: Watch the isolated animals for signs of coughing, diarrhea, or loss of appetite. If they stay healthy after 3 weeks, they can join the family.

Student Activity: The “Medicine Cabinet” Inventory

Imagine you are the manager of the school farm.

1. Make a list of 3 items you would put in your “Animal First Aid Box.”
2. Explain why you chose them.
3. Where would you keep the key to this box? (Hint: Keep it away from children and heat!)

Farmer’s Secret: > Medicine is expensive, but Biosecurity (cleanliness and quarantine) is almost free. If you are strict with your quarantine, you will spend very little on drugs!