← Agriculture & Land Use syllabus

Northern IrelandAgriculture & Land Use

Animal Production

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the main farm animal diseases, how are TB and brucellosis controlled, and what is biosecurity?

The cause, symptoms, prevention and treatment of mastitis, fluke, pneumonia and salmonella, the effect and economic impact of tuberculosis and brucellosis, how their spread is limited, and the meaning of farm biosecurity.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on animal health and disease, covering the cause, symptoms, prevention and treatment of mastitis, fluke, pneumonia and salmonella, the effect and economic impact of TB and brucellosis, limiting disease spread, and farm biosecurity.
8 min answer →

How do ruminant, monogastric and avian animals digest food, and how do farmers feed them correctly?

The key parts of the ruminant, monogastric and avian digestive tracts, the meaning of dry matter intake, how food sources meet dietary requirements, the difference between maintenance and production rations, and how nutritional needs vary.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on animal nutrition and digestion, covering the ruminant, monogastric and avian digestive tracts, dry matter intake, how food sources meet dietary requirements, maintenance versus production rations, and how nutritional needs vary.
8 min answer →

What are the five freedoms of farm animals, and how can a farmer tell whether an animal is healthy?

The five basic freedoms of farm animals, and the five vital signs used to assess the general health of an animal, including interest in food, alertness, skin and coat condition, urine colour and mucous membrane colour.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on animal welfare and health signs, covering the five basic freedoms of farm animals and the five vital signs used to assess the general health of an animal.
7 min answer →

How are farm animals bred, what are the methods and the lactation curve, and how does selective breeding shape breeds?

Gestation periods and fertilisation methods (natural, AI and embryo transfer) in cows, sheep and pigs, the value of colostrum and the lactation curve, lighting and egg production with egg structure, typical yields, and selective breeding, breeds and rare breeds.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on breeding and reproduction, covering gestation periods, fertilisation methods (natural, AI and embryo transfer), colostrum and the lactation curve, lighting and egg production with egg structure, typical yields, and selective breeding and rare breeds.
9 min answer →