A report on skills and qualifications attained during industrial training at livestock experimental station NAGRC&DB.

Abstract

Livestock Experimental Station is a government farm with three main enterprises; cattle/dairy, poultry, and piggery. It is aimed at producing efficient high quality and quantity milk, beef, pork, eggs, chicks and chicken for commercial production for both the community and outside the community, as far as all town and cities of Uganda. The industrial training provided me with practical skills, field practice and experience to enhance the theoretical knowledge that is learnt in class. The objectives of the training were as follows; to identify the various animal husbandry practices and get experience on animal welfare skills, find out the different breeds of dairy cattle, poultry, and pigs at LES, find out the different Animal diseases, their signs, symptoms, and treatment, to find out the methods of external and internal parasite control used in the three enterprises, to find out the Pasture management and preservation methods, to find out the hatchery, piggery and poultry management and to practically get knowledge on artificial insemination, embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization. The major activities I carried out at LES included the following; Pasture management, routine management of livestock (cattle, pigs, and poultry), calf management, daily milk production records, brooding management, feed mixing, farm fencing, disease diagnosis and treatment in cattle, piggery and poultry, animal identification (ear tagging), spray race management and record keeping. I was also exposed on how to collect semen and processing semen. The training revealed that some of the theoretical knowledge taught in class is related to what is done in the field. The following are some of the animal welfare practiced at I ES; providing shelter and food to animals, treating animals, allowing animals to rest as well as proper restraining of animals during milking. The training also revealed that production and management in any enterprise are two different broad activities which must move hand in hand for any farm to get the expected profit or even more. Production and management require a lot of hard work, sacrifice, dedication and determination. The recommendations were as follows, the laying birds should be provided with green vegetables which provide the birds with vitamin A, enable the birds to exercise themselves as well, Proper disposal of wastes from hatchery and other sector to prevent contamination and spread of diseases within the farm. It is therefore recommended that more animal husbandry officers should be trained to guide and advise farmers who are facing challenges in production and management.