TNPSC Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science (Degree Standard), Code 396 · India · Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersThe hands-on, non-credit farm course: handling, milking, feeding, identifying and recording animals, and routine procedures such as hoof trimming, dehorning and castration.
In the exams: Practical skills examined in OSCE-style licensing exams (RCVS SME OSCE, AVE clinical exam)
How our questions for TNPSC Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Code 396 spread across the units of Livestock Farm Practices. Difficulty: 13 easy, 14 medium, 3 hard.
| Feeding practice | 6 | |
| Record keeping | 6 | |
| Identification: tagging and tattooing | 4 | |
| Handling and restraint of farm animals | 3 | |
| Milking | 3 | |
| Daily farm routines | 3 | |
| Dehorning methods | 2 | |
| Castration methods | 2 | |
| Hoof trimming | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Which knot joins two ropes of unequal thickness?
D. Sheet bend
A sheet bend holds when two ropes of different thickness are joined. A reef knot joins ropes of equal size and can slip with unequal ropes; a bowline makes a fixed loop; a half-hitch secures a rope to an object or limb.
Further reading: Grandin, Livestock Handling and Transport; Fowler, Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals
A cow has a body length of 60 inches and a heart girth of 70 inches. Using Schaeffer's formula, what is her estimated live weight?
B. 980 lb
Schaeffer: W (lb) = L x G squared / 300 = 60 x 4900 / 300 = 980 lb. Dividing by 400 (the pig formula) gives 735 lb; 444 is the right weight in kg wrongly labelled lb; forgetting to square the girth gives 14.
Further reading: Schaeffer's formula; Banerjee, Textbook of Animal Husbandry
A cow must receive 3 kg of dry matter from green fodder that contains 20% dry matter. How much fresh fodder must be fed?
B. 15 kg
As-fed = DM required / DM fraction = 3 / 0.20 = 15 kg. Multiplying instead of dividing gives 0.6 kg; dividing by 0.8 (confusing moisture with DM) gives 3.75; dividing by 0.25 gives 12.
Further reading: Animal nutrition practice
Using the thumb rule of 1 kg concentrate per 2 kg milk for buffalo, how much concentrate should a buffalo yielding 12 kg milk a day receive if her maintenance concentrate allowance is 2 kg?
D. 8.0 kg
Production allowance = 12 / 2 = 6 kg; total = 6 + 2 = 8 kg. Using the cow rule (12 / 2.5 = 4.8, plus 2) gives 6.8; leaving out maintenance gives 6.0; multiplying 12 x 2 and adding 2 gives 26.
Further reading: ICAR Handbook of Animal Husbandry; Banerjee
Why does the concentrate thumb rule allow more concentrate per kg of milk for buffalo than for cows?
B. Buffalo milk has a higher fat and energy content
Buffalo milk is richer in fat, and so in energy, than cow milk, so each kg of buffalo milk needs more feed energy. That is why the rule is 1 kg per 2 kg of buffalo milk and 1 kg per 2.5 kg of cow milk.
Further reading: ICAR Handbook of Animal Husbandry
In what sequence are milking equipment surfaces cleaned after use?
C. Lukewarm rinse, hot detergent wash, periodic acid rinse, then sanitising
A lukewarm pre-rinse removes milk without baking protein on; a hot alkaline detergent removes fat and protein; an acid rinse at intervals removes milkstone (mineral deposit); sanitising before the next milking kills remaining bacteria.
Further reading: Dairy hygiene texts
A buffalo is inseminated on 5 February in a non-leap year and conceives. Using a gestation length of 310 days, what is her expected calving date?
C. 12 December
5 February + 310 days = 12 December. 15 November uses the cattle figure of 283 days; 5 July uses 150 days.
Further reading: ICAR Handbook of Animal Husbandry; herd fertility monitoring texts
A cow's lactation records show an average daily yield of 18 kg over her standard lactation. What is her 305-day yield?
C. 5490 kg
305-day yield = 18 x 305 = 5490 kg. 6570 uses 365 days; 1800 multiplies by 100 days instead of 305; 3050 uses 10 kg per day.
Further reading: Dairy records practice
At which junction of the hoof wall and sole does white line disease begin?
C. The white line
The white line joins the wall to the sole and is a weak zone where dirt and infection can enter, causing white line disease and abscesses.
Further reading: Toussaint Raven, Cattle Footcare and Claw Trimming; Blowey, Cattle Lameness and Hoofcare
Which castration method removes the testes through a scrotal incision?
A. The open (surgical) method
The open method incises the scrotum and removes the testes, severing the cords by traction, scraping, ligation or emasculator. The emasculatome and rubber ring are closed methods; immunocastration is a vaccine against GnRH.
Further reading: Weaver, St Jean and Steiner, Bovine Surgery and Lameness
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