Agriculture: Animal Science, Part 8
Question 1: Describe the following structures of a horse's skeletal system: fore limbs, cannon bone, splints, sesamoids, pastern, pedal bones, and hock.
Answer 1: 1.The fore limbs of a horse include its scapula, or shoulder blade, on either side of the rib cage. A horse does not have a collar bone: the scapulae are connected by muscles and ligaments to the spine.2. The cannon bone is a horse's lower leg bone. It is a weight-bearing bone.3. The splints are the two bones on either side of the cannon bones, toward the rear.4. Sesamoids are the two bones behind the fetlock joint. They hold the tendons of the leg and allow movement of the lower leg.5. The pasterns are the two bones in the lower leg and foot connecting the leg and joints in the leg.6. A pedal bone is a hoof-shaped bone of the foot. It attaches the ligaments and tendons from forearm muscles.7. The hock is the joint that allows the hind leg to move.
There are lots of good resources about Animal Science that you can find available.
Question 2: Explain the workings of a pig's digestive system.
Answer 2: A pig's digestive system is like a tube starting at the mouth and ending at the rectum. The pharynx is the area through which food and air pass. The soft palate moves to protect the windpipe when the pig is swallowing. A pig's tonsils sit on the surface of its soft palate. The esophagus extends from the pharynx to the stomach. It transports food into the stomach. The digestive tract of swine can convert both animal and vegetable material into desired nutrients. Swine have similar digestive anatomies to humans. The pig has a large and small intestine. The small intestine has millions of villi, finger-like projections. These improve the efficiency of the digestive process by increasing the absorptive area. The colon begins with the cecum. This is the area of the digestive tract in which cellulose is digested.
Question 3: Explain foaling and difficulties in foaling.
Answer 3: Mares usually gives birth at night and seldom have difficulties with birthing. The mare's water breaks, and the foal's front legs will appear, followed by the foal's head. The afterbirth usually passes within an hour of the foal's birth. If it is not passed within 24 hours of birth, veterinary assistance is needed. Problems in foaling include only the foal's head coming from the mother, only one leg coming out, and if no foal is found. Help can be given by soaping one's hands well and inserting them into the mare's vagina to determine the problem. The foal's front feet and head should be correctly positioned for birth. The foal's navel cord should be cut about 3 centimeters from the foal's body, if it is attached. A clean string should be tied around the edge of the cord.
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