Animal Husbandry Specimen for WAEC 2025

Are you preparing for the WAEC Animal Husbandry practical exam in 2025? If yes, then you are in the right place! Below is the complete list of Animal Husbandry specimens for the WAEC 2025 examination, along with their descriptions, features, and functions.

Having these specimens before the exam will help students to know which area WAEC is going to set practical questions from.

Animal Husbandry Specimen for WAEC 2025

SPECIMEN	NAME
A	NPK fertilizer
B	Fresh cow dung (labelled)
C	Guinea grass
D	Elephant grass
E	Centrosema
F	Calopo
G	Silage (labelled)
H	Animal fat (labelled)
J	Gall bladder with bile (labelled)
K	Poultry feed trough
L	Scalpel
M	Poultry drinker
N	Water (labelled)
O	Tapeworm
P	Feathers
Q	Manure drag

Animal Husbandry Specimen for WAEC 2025 Answers

Specimen A: NPK Fertilizer

NPK fertilizer is a type of inorganic fertilizer that contains three important plant nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). These are essential for plant growth and development. Nitrogen helps in the formation of leaves and is vital for photosynthesis. Phosphorus is important for root development and energy transfer in plants, while Potassium improves plant health, boosts resistance to diseases, and helps in fruit and seed formation.

In Animal Husbandry, especially in pasture and forage production, NPK fertilizer plays a major role. It is used to improve the quality and yield of grasses like guinea grass and elephant grass, which are fed to livestock. When applied correctly, NPK increases the nutritional value of the pasture, leading to better animal performance in terms of weight gain, milk production, and overall health.

However, farmers must be careful with how they apply it. Over-application can lead to nutrient runoff, which pollutes water bodies and harms aquatic life. It’s also expensive, so efficient use is necessary. Students should be able to identify NPK by its granulated form and sometimes its packaging.

Specimen B: Fresh Cow Dung (Labelled)

Fresh cow dung is the semi-solid waste excreted by cows. It is usually brownish-green in color and has a strong, distinctive smell. It is rich in organic matter and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making it very valuable in animal husbandry and crop production.

In Animal Husbandry, fresh cow dung is important for several reasons. First, it is used as organic manure to enrich the soil. When applied to pastures or farmlands, it improves soil structure, increases microbial activity, and promotes healthy plant growth, which in turn provides better feed for livestock.

Secondly, cow dung is often used in the production of biogas through anaerobic digestion. This biogas can be used for cooking, lighting, or even powering farm machinery. The by product of this process, known as slurry, can also be returned to the soil as a nutrient rich fertilizer.

In rural areas, dried cow dung is used as fuel for cooking. It also plays a role in traditional building construction when mixed with mud.

However, if not properly managed, fresh cow dung can become a breeding ground for flies and parasites, leading to the spread of diseases on the farm. That is why proper dung disposal or composting is very important in animal management.

Specimen C: Guinea Grass

Guinea grass, also known scientifically as Panicum maximum, is a tall, leafy, and fast-growing tropical grass commonly cultivated in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. It is one of the most important forage crops used in animal husbandry because of its high nutritional value, especially for ruminants like cattle, goats, and sheep.

Guinea grass is rich in crude protein and provides a good source of roughage. It grows well in a wide range of soils and is drought-resistant to some extent, which makes it a reliable feed source even during dry seasons. Farmers usually cut and feed it fresh to animals, though it can also be used for hay or silage preparation.

This grass promotes good rumen function in ruminant animals due to its fibrous nature. Regular consumption improves animal health, encourages weight gain, and boosts milk production in dairy animals.

In addition to its use as livestock feed, guinea grass also helps in soil conservation. Its thick roots hold the soil together and prevent erosion, especially when planted on slopes.

For students in the lab, Guinea grass can be identified by its tall and slender stems, long green leaves, and feathery seed heads. It is soft to the touch when young and becomes tougher as it matures.

Specimen D: Elephant Grass

Elephant grass, also known as Pennisetum purpureum, is a tall, coarse tropical grass that is widely used as animal feed in Nigeria and across Africa. It is called “elephant grass” because of its massive size and because it is one of the favorite feeds for elephants in the wild. It can grow up to 2–4 meters tall under good conditions.

In Animal Husbandry, elephant grass is a major forage crop for ruminant animals like cattle, goats, and sheep. It is highly palatable when young and provides a good amount of crude protein, energy, and roughage. It promotes healthy digestion in animals and supports weight gain and milk production.

This grass thrives well in tropical climates, grows quickly, and can be harvested multiple times a year. Farmers often plant it around pens or in pastures and harvest it regularly to feed their livestock. It can also be used to prepare silage, especially during the rainy season when it is abundant, to be stored and fed to animals during the dry season.

Elephant grass can be recognized in the lab by its thick, hairy stems, broad green leaves, and tall height. It feels rougher and coarser than guinea grass, especially as it matures.

However, if not cut on time, it becomes woody and less digestible. Proper harvesting at the right stage ensures maximum nutrition.

Specimen E: Centrosema

Centrosema is a type of leguminous forage crop, scientifically known as Centrosema pubescens. It is a creeping or twining plant commonly found in tropical regions like Nigeria, and it plays a vital role in animal husbandry due to its high protein content and ability to improve soil fertility.

As a legume, Centrosema has the special ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil through the help of bacteria in its root nodules. This makes it not just a good source of animal feed but also a natural soil enricher. When planted in pastures alongside grasses like guinea grass or elephant grass, it boosts the overall nutritional value of the forage mixture.

Centrosema is highly palatable to animals, especially ruminants like goats and sheep. It is soft, leafy, and digestible, making it a preferred choice for increasing productivity in terms of weight gain and milk yield.

It grows well even on poor soils and can survive under partial shade, making it ideal for mixed cropping systems or silvopasture. Farmers also use it to control soil erosion, as its creeping nature covers the soil surface effectively.

In the lab, students can identify Centrosema by its small, green trifoliate (three-part) leaves and its unique violet or purplish butterfly shaped flowers. It often grows along the ground or climbs nearby vegetation.

Specimen F: Calopo

Calopo, scientifically known as Calopogonium mucunoides, is another important leguminous forage crop used in animal husbandry. It is a fast-growing, trailing or climbing plant commonly found in Nigeria’s tropical regions. Like Centrosema, Calopo is valued for its high crude protein content and its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, which improves soil fertility for other crops or pasture grasses.

Calopo is mainly used as livestock feed, especially for ruminants like goats, sheep, and cattle. Its soft, leafy stems and high palatability make it a great supplement when mixed with grasses like guinea grass or elephant grass. Animals fed with Calopo tend to show improved body condition and increased milk production.

It also plays a role in soil conservation. Its fast growth and ground-covering habit help to prevent erosion, particularly in sloped or degraded lands. Additionally, it is often used as a green manure crop, ploughed back into the soil to improve its organic matter content.

In the laboratory, students can identify Calopo by its hairy stems, trifoliate leaves (three leaflets), and small bluish-purple flowers. It tends to creep along the ground or climb nearby structures.

Farmers like using Calopo because it grows quickly, improves the quality of their pastures, and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers all of which are cost effective benefits for sustainable livestock farming.

Specimen G: Silage

Silage is a type of preserved animal feed made from green forage crops such as maize, elephant grass, or guinea grass that are harvested while still fresh and succulent. It is stored under anaerobic (airtight) conditions, usually in silos, pits, or polythene bags, and allowed to ferment. This fermentation process helps to retain the nutritional value of the forage and prevents spoilage, making silage an essential feed during the dry season when fresh grass is scarce.

In animal husbandry, silage is highly valued because it provides high energy and nutrients, particularly for ruminants like cattle and sheep. It supports good weight gain, milk production, and general animal health. One of its major advantages is that it allows farmers to store surplus forage during the rainy season and feed it to animals when pasture is unavailable.

Proper preparation of silage involves chopping the forage into small pieces, compacting it tightly to remove air, and covering it well to prevent oxygen from entering. If exposed to air, silage can become moldy and harmful to livestock.

Students can recognize silage by its moist texture, slightly sour or fermented smell (due to lactic acid), and green to brownish color, depending on the type of plant material used.

Silage plays an important role in modern livestock farming as it ensures animals get nutritious feed all year round, regardless of weather conditions. It also helps in reducing feed costs and increasing farm efficiency.

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