APH

This course introduces students to behavioural patterns in farm animals. It explores the effects of domestication on animal behaviour.Causes of behaviour responses in animals.Types of behaviour.Learning of behavioural responses; behavioural adaptations of animals to their environments and ways of life.Abnormal behaviour. Various techniques for handling farm animals.

This course is basic to students of animal production. It teaches some important biochemical principles in relation to animal feeding and welfare. It is also a course that helps to understand some aspects of human nutrition, thus students are expected to know some key elements of nutrition in general. It is an important course to be offered by students of Biochemistry, aquaculture, food science and wildlife. Topics to be covered include review of the digestive tracts and digestion process in ruminants and non-ruminants, bioenergetics, water in relation to nutrition, basic nutritional and metabolic processes of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Others include elements of human nutrition, food survey and food balance sheet.

This course is basic to students of animal production. It teaches some important biochemical principles in relation to animal feeding and welfare. It is also a course that helps to understand some aspects of human nutrition, thus students are expected to know some key elements of nutrition in general. It is an important course to be offered by students of Biochemistry, aquaculture, food science and wildlife. Topics to be covered include review of the digestive tracts and digestion process in ruminants and non-ruminants, bioenergetics, water in relation to nutrition, basic nutritional and metabolic processes of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Others include elements of human nutrition, food survey and food balance sheet.

This course is a review of all the systems of farm animals using the finer details of tissue/organs to emphasis the functions of these systems in relation to improved farm animal production. Homeostasis, nutrition, reproduction and digestion, temperature, regulation of body functions in the tropical environment and some aspects of reproductive endocrinology

The course provides the student with information and training on major concept in genetics and breeding, practical methodology of determining to what extent traits can be improved and transfer to the next generation through selection, and efficient approaches to improving livestock through use of modern quantitative and molecular genetics. As a practical course, the focus is to impart useful skills on the students in order to enhance their breeding and selection literacy level and prepare them for other specialised areas of genetics to be encountered at higher levels. Topics to be covered include: History of genetics and animal breeding, chromosome structure, number and variations. The gene and genotype, genetic code, Mendelism; fundamental principles of inheritance, types of gene actions, values and means, repeatability and heritability, variations in farm animals and selection principles. Breeding methods – in – breeding types of in – breeding, cross – breeding and types of cross – breeding, estimation of breeding values.

Principal life processes of higher plants – Plant-water relations, mineral absorption, translocation and utilization, photosynthesis and respiration. Agricultural and ecological significance of life processes.

This course is very important for profitable animal production. This stems from the fact that a good understanding and judicious use of knowledge acquired from this course would lead to huge reduction in the cost of intensive livestock production. It also meets the need of students in fish and grass cutter production. In addition, the course provides information on the nutritive values of Nigerian feed resources and necessary concepts aim at optimizing the use of available feed ingredients in animal production. It also provides hands-on training in the use of spreadsheet and other soft wares in feed formulation. Topics to be covered include types of livestock feeds, the characteristics, chemistry and nutritive values of feeds, factors affecting the nutritive values of feeds, concept of feeding standards, toxins and potential toxins, the concept of alternative feed ingredients, ration formulation, the concept of balanced ration evaluation, digestive experiments, economic livestock feeding and feed mill industry.

It is reported that half of the grazing animals are in the middle belt of Nigeria. These animals are supported by the abundant supply of grasses found in this aforementioned part of the country. This course covers: The geographical distribution of natural pasture in Nigeria, Adaptation and botany of indigenous and introduced pastures and forage plants. Characteristics and composition of grasses, legumes and shrubs for livestock feeding. Establishment, production and seed multiplication of pasture plants. Utilization and maintenance of pasture fields and fodder crop farms. Grazing systems and managements of pasture. Forage conservation and dry season feeds.

This course introduces third year students to monogastric and ruminant nutrition including digestive physiology; energy, protein, mineral and vitamin metabolism; nutrient interrelationships; nutrient requirements of monogastric and ruminant species for health, maintenance, growth, and productive functions; structure and nutritional significance of non-starch polysaccharides; new developments in feeding systems; feed additives; prevention of metabolic disorders and in vitro and in vivo digestive experiments.

The history and development of microbiology, general characteristics of micro-organisms including bacteria, viruses, chlamydiae, mycoplasma, rickettsiae and fungi of animal health importance, principles of sterilization and disinfection. Principles of bacterial isolation and cultivation. Identification of pathogenic bacteria and fungi and the diseases they cause in animals. The process of inflammation and healing of lesions associated with infections. The pathogenesis of infectious diseases.

This course introduces students to various parasitic problems of farm animals. It is an exploratory, first course in Parasitology designed primarily for students in animal production and health including allied disciplines. The practical aspect of the course focuses on identification of common helminthes, blood parasites and ectoparasites of farm animals. The course shall impart control methods on students of parasitic problems of livestocks in order to boost production levels.Topics to be covered include terminologies in Parasitology; study of nematode, trematode and cestodes of economics importance to farm animals; vectors and ectoparsites -lice, fleas, ticks and vector flies.

This course is designed to introduce students to Nigerian meat and allied industries. Pre-slaughter handling and stress. Ante and post-mortem factors affecting meat quality. Slaughtering and dressing techniques. Carcass yield and evaluation. Meat selection and grading. Structure, composition and function of muscle. Conversion of muscle to meat. Nutritional qualities of meat. Characteristics of fresh and processed meat. Meat processing and preservation. Consumer acceptability/sensory characteristics. Meat microbiology, inspection and sanitation. By-products handling and utilization. Tissue lipid oxidation. Abattoir/meat shop establishment and management and Meat marketing.

This course deals with origin; distribution; taxonomy; botany; ecology and methods of cultivation of major cereal and legume crops of Nigeria (West Africa). Crops of interest are – maize; rice; guinea corn; wheat; millet; cowpeas; groundnuts and various beans. Others are pigeon peas, bambara nuts, soya beans and the legume covers. Detailed study of the methods of harvesting, processing, storage and the use of the products of each crop forms major part of the teaching of the course.

Principles, practices and techniques in tropical horticulture tools equipment and materials. Landscaping. Origin, distribution, taxonomy, botany, principles of cultivation, harvesting, processing, storage, marketing and use of major fruits, leafy vegetables and ornamental plants of Nigeria.

This course is designed to trained students on how to carry out the survey of forest lands using some simple survey equipment such as compass, chain, poles, arrows, field books, optical instruments etc and simple construction surveying for rural applications. The students are practically exposed to various survey equipments and how to handle them. Students are also trained on how to produce the map of an area that has been surveyed, closing of errors in maps and computation of land areas from a map using different methods. Some of the topics to be covered include procedures in ground survey and ground survey instruments. Chain surveying (open and close traversing) and triangulation, Obstacles in chain survey, how to overcome them and the various sources of errors during survey exercise. Others are Compass survey: function, limitations and use during survey exercise and sources of errors, plotting of survey maps, plans and methods of area calculations, lettering and conventional signs, levelling and contours, plane tabling, the Theodolite: uses in tachiometry and Forest road alignment.