Livestock Production: Pigs, Poultry, Rabbits and Camel Breeds - Form 1 Agriculture Notes

• Pig Breeds
  • Characteristics
  • Breeds
• Poultry Breeds
  • Characteristics of Light Breeds
  • Characteristics of Heavy Breeds
  • Characteristics of Dual-Purpose Breeds
  • Hybrids
• Rabbit Breeds
  • Breeds
• Camels Breeds
  • Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)
  • Bacterian (Camelus bacterianus)

Pig Breeds

Characteristics:

• They are sparsely haired and therefore cannot withstand cold.
• Pigs wallow when it is hot due to absence of sweat glands.
• They breathe fast when it is hot.
• They have bristles instead of hair.

Breeds

Large White

• Origin: Britain
• Kept for bacon and pork production.
• Long, large and white in colour.
• Ears straight and erect.
• Has dished face and snout.
• Most prolific and with good mothering ability.
• Fairly hardy.

Landrace

• Origin: Denmark
• White and longer than large white.
• Ears drooping.
• Good for bacon production.
• Very prolific with good mothering ability.
• Requires high level of management.

Wessex Saddle

• Back Origin: England
• Colour: Black with white forelegs and shoulders.
• Straight snout and drooping ears.
• Good for bacon and pork.
• Good for keeping outdoors.
• Excellent mothering instincts.

Other pig breeds include:

• Berkshire,
• Middle-white
• Duroc Jersey pig.

Pigs can be crossed to obtain hybrids or crosses.

Advantages of Crosses

• Increased litter size.
• Early maturing.
• Increase in body length.
• High proportion of lean meat to fat.

Poultry Breeds

There are three types of chicken breeds:

• The light breeds kept for egg production.
• The heavy breeds kept for meat production.
• Dual purpose breeds - kept for both eggs and meat production.

Characteristics of Light Breeds

• Never go broody hence poor sitters.
• Excellent layers (over 220 eggs per year).
• Poor meat producers (hens can attain 2kg; cocks 3kgs)
• Very nervous and exhibit high degree of cannibalism.
• Hen's comb is large and bent over one eye and cock's comb is large with 5 - 6 serrations.

Examples:

• Leghorns,
• Anconas,
• Silkies,
• Minorcas.

Characteristics of Heavy Breeds

• Can lay few eggs and provide good meat as broilers.
• Can go broody.
• Heavier and bigger in size.
• Grow fast.

Examples:

• Light Sussex,
• Cornish Dark
• White.

Characteristics of Dual-Purpose Breeds

• Go broody.
• Have good meat.
• Disease resistant (do not require high standard of management).
• Rarely exhibit cannibalism.

Examples: Rhode Island Red.

Hybrids

• These are developed by crossing two different breeds.
• They are superior in performance.
• Can attain 2kg in 56 days for broilers and layover 200 eggs per year for layers.

Examples:

• Shavers,
• Thombers
• Isabrown.

Rabbit Breeds

Kept for the following reasons:

• To provide meat, fur, hair or wool.
• To provide skin for leather.
• To provide manure.
• As pet animals.
• Used for research purposes.

Breeds

• Californian white: white, very prolific black ears, nose and feet).
• New Zealand white: (white with pink eyes - good for meat).
• Flemish giant (dark grey - good for meat).
• Angora rabbit (white, kept for wool production).
• Chinchillah (greyish, kept for its fur).
• Earlops (white with droopy ears).
• Kenya white (white, smallest of breeds).

Camels Breeds

Kept for;

• Transport,
• Racing,
• To provide milk, meat and wool.

There are two species of camels.

Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)

• Origin: Arabia and Syria
• Are single humped, have light body
• Good for racing and rapid transport.

Bacterian (Camelus bacterianus)

• Origin: Central Asia
• Has double humps, heavier and has shorter legs.
• Can live in cold regions hence its thick and long coat acts as insulation.
• Capable of shedding the coat during spring.