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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 12 Agriculture unit 6: Beef Cattle Production and Management

Everything here is for unit 6 of the Grade 12 Agriculture textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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6
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 6
104–134
The textbook pages for unit 6

What unit 6 covers

  1. 1.Beef cattle breeds and methods of selection
  2. 2.Beef cattle feeds and feeding methods
  3. 3.Beef cattle housing
  4. 4.Major disease of beef cattle and control
  5. 5.Meat production and processing

Short notes for unit 6

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 12 Agriculture page. Open one at a time.

BreedOriginClimate TypeKey Traits
BoranSouthern EthiopiaTropicalHardy, fast growth, excellent meat quality, horned
BrahmanIndiaTropicalExtreme heat tolerance, thick skin, insect resistant
AfrikanderSouth AfricaTropicalDeep red coat, tick disease resistance, good mothering
HerefordEnglandTemperateDark red to red yellow, no hump, adaptable to all climates
AngusScotlandTemperateBlack or red, naturally polled, cold adapted, no hump
CharolaisFranceTemperateLarge size, mainly white, easy calving, no hump

When you use it

Use this to distinguish tropical and temperate beef cattle breeds by origin and physical traits.

Watch out

Tropical breeds possess humps whereas temperate breeds such as Hereford and Angus have no hump.

Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 106-127, then checked twice before it went up

Dressing Percentage=WcarcassWlive×100\text{Dressing Percentage} = \frac{W_{\text{carcass}}}{W_{\text{live}}} \times 100
WcarcassW_{\text{carcass}}
Dressed carcass weight after internal organs removalkg\text{kg}
WliveW_{\text{live}}
Live animal weight before slaughterkg\text{kg}
Dressing Percentage\text{Dressing Percentage}
Ratio of dressed carcass weight to live animal weight%\%

When you use it

Use this to calculate carcass yield percentage from live animal weight and dressed carcass weight.

Watch out

Carcass weight is measured only after internal organs are removed, not on the whole dead body.

Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 106-127, then checked twice before it went up

When you use it

Use this rule when sequencing feed distribution in feedlots and aligning cattle barn construction.

Watch out

Always offer roughage before concentrate feeds in feedlots. Build cattle houses facing east to west to avoid direct solar heat.

Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 106-127, then checked twice before it went up

DiseasePathogen TypeCausative AgentKey Symptoms
RinderpestViralRP virusDigestive erosions, bloody diarrhea, milk fever posture
Foot and Mouth DiseaseViralFMD virusVesicles on muzzle and feet, salivation, clicking sound
RabiesViralRabies virusAggression, bellowing, paralysis, excessive salivation
Bovine Viral DiarrheaViralBVD virusErosive stomatitis, foul diarrhea, abortion, laminitis
CBPPBacterialMycoplasma mycoidesExercise cough, rapid breathing, arched back, carrier lungers
Bovine TBBacterialMycobacterium bovisOrgan tubercles, chronic hacking cough, zoonotic
AnthraxBacterialBacillus anthracisPeracute death, neck swelling, dark tarry blood discharge

When you use it

Use this to classify cattle diseases by pathogen type and match clinical signs with the specific pathogen.

Watch out

CBPP is caused by bacteria (Mycoplasma) and not a virus. Anthrax causes incomplete rigor mortis and tarry blood.

Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 106-127, then checked twice before it went up

When you use it

Use when answering questions about managing and controlling black leg in cattle and sheep.

Watch out

Black leg treatment is ineffective. Control depends entirely on early vaccination and immediate carcass condemnation, not antibiotic cures.

Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 128-149, then checked twice before it went up

MethodAgent or PrincipleEffect on Meat
SaltingNaCl up to 5%Binds water and lowers moisture
CuringNaCl and NaNO2\text{NaNO}_2Develops red or pink color
SmokingWood smoke infiltrationDevelops flavor, color, preservation
DryingMoisture reductionHalts microbial growth (quanta)
CanningHigh heat and hermetic sealInactivates Clostridium botulinum spores

When you use it

Use when identifying chemical and physical procedures used to process and preserve meat products.

Watch out

Salting preserves meat by binding water, not by destroying microorganisms directly.

Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 128-149, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 6

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

What is the place of origin of the Boran cattle breed?

  1. A.England
  2. B.Southern Ethiopia
  3. C.India
  4. D.South Africa
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Southern Ethiopia

Why

The textbook specifies that the Boran cattle breed originated in Southern Ethiopia.

Question 2

Which temperate beef cattle breed originates from Scotland and is naturally polled (hornless)?

  1. A.Angus
  2. B.Hereford
  3. C.Charolais
  4. D.Brahman
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Angus

Why

The Angus (or Aberdeen Angus) breed originates from Scotland and is polled.

Question 3

What is marbling in beef cattle evaluation?

  1. A.The weight of the carcass after removing internal organs
  2. B.The ratio of dressed carcass weight to live weight
  3. C.The flecks of fat within the muscle (intramuscular fat)
  4. D.The external layer of fat over the back
Show the answer and why

Answer: C The flecks of fat within the muscle (intramuscular fat)

Why

Marbling is defined as the flecks of fat within the muscle (intramuscular fat), which contributes to the flavor and juiciness of meat.

Question 4

Which peracute bacterial disease of cattle is caused by Bacillus anthracis and is characterized by sudden death and tarry blood from body openings?

  1. A.Rabies
  2. B.Anthrax
  3. C.Rinderpest
  4. D.Bovine viral diarrhea
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Anthrax

Why

Anthrax is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis and causes septicemia, sudden death, and dark, tarry blood flowing from body openings.

Question 5

In a commercial feedlot operation, what is the correct order of offering feeds to beef cattle?

  1. A.Concentrate feeds first, followed by roughage
  2. B.Roughage first, followed by concentrate feeds
  3. C.Only concentrate feeds without any roughage
  4. D.High moisture roots only once per week
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Roughage first, followed by concentrate feeds

Why

In commercial feedlot feeding, beef cattle should be offered roughage first, followed by concentrate feeds.

Question 6

In what direction should a beef cattle house be built to protect animals from morning and afternoon sun and rain?

  1. A.North-south direction
  2. B.East-west direction
  3. C.North-east direction
  4. D.South-west direction
Show the answer and why

Answer: B East-west direction

Why

The animal house should be oriented in an east-west direction to shield cattle from direct morning and afternoon sunlight as well as rain.

Question 7

At what age is yearling weight measured in beef cattle to assess combined pre-weaning and post-weaning growth?

  1. A.Just after birth
  2. B.Around 205 days of age
  3. C.Between 320 and 410 days of age
  4. D.Above 600 days of age
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Between 320 and 410 days of age

Why

Yearling weight is taken between 320 and 410 days of age to measure combined pre-weaning and post-weaning growth.

Question 8

A cattle fattener in Ethiopia wants to provide a protein-rich concentrate feed. Which of the following is preferred as a protein source?

  1. A.Noug seed cake
  2. B.Wheat bran
  3. C.Ground sorghum
  4. D.Maize grain
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Noug seed cake

Why

Commercial cattle fatteners in Ethiopia prefer noug seed cake, cotton seed cake, and faba or lentil bean bran as protein sources, whereas wheat bran, sorghum, and maize serve as energy sources.

Question 9

Which of the following is categorized as a carcass quantity trait rather than a carcass quality trait?

  1. A.Marbling score
  2. B.Dressing percentage
  3. C.Ribeye area
  4. D.Fat thickness
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Dressing percentage

Why

Carcass quantity traits include pre-slaughter live weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage. Marbling score, ribeye, and fat thickness are carcass quality (composition) traits.

Question 10

In which cattle disease do recovered animals, known as lungers, act as carriers and shedders of the pathogen under stress?

  1. A.Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)
  2. B.Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
  3. C.Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD)
  4. D.Rabies
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)

Why

In CBPP (caused by Mycoplasma mycoides var. mycoides), recovered animals are called 'lungers' and serve as carriers and shedders of the infection.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 6

Unit 6 runs from page 104 to page 134 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 302 pages

Download the PDF

All Grade 12 Agriculture short notes

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