FIELD PRACTICAL TRAINING

MATSHA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Center number: BW823

Merapelo Pretty Moshebi

Candidate number:

17th April to 1st May 2025

BUAN
MATSHA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Center number:BW823

Merapelo Pretty Moshebi

Candidate number:

____________________ ____________________

Candidate signature Date of submission

DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY

Acknowledgement

INTRODUCTION

Description of farm routine schedule

Description of activities carried out

FINDINGS

CONCLUSION

RECOMMENDATIONS

Rating by TOI

Overall report quality

APPENDICES
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY

I Merapelo Pretty Moshebi, candidate number ,from Matsha Community College, center
number BW823, I declare that I did a Field Practical Training from 17th April 2025 to 1st May 2025at
Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources farm.It is true that this report reflects what I
did during the Field Practical Training.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I will like to thank Mr Maotsela for influencing my parents to buy me protective clothing needed for the
Field Practical Training. I will secondly thank the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural
Resources for allowing us to perform the Field Practical Training at their farm. I will also like to thank Ms
Coletta Sue for helping us perform some activities as the broiler section and making sure that we clearly
understand. I will continue by thanking Mr Bond Ncube for helping me in performing and understanding
any activities carried out at piggery section.
INTRODUCTION

Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources was the one chosen for the Field Practical
Training [FPT]. This was because it has all resources like goats ,chickens and pigs that were needed for
the FPT, it is also the institution that deals with animal health and it holds workers with qualifications.
This is good as the workers may be able to address any issue or questions we ask. For the FPT I expected
to learn more about dairy farming. I expected to see how the automated milking machine operates and
also to learn how to use it. I also expected to learn more about diseases of different animals and how to
deal with them. I expected to have more practice in vaccination. I expected to learn about the process of
slaughtering. As I have learnt about castration in class I expected to do it by the means of practice. This
knowledge would help me understand more in what I should do and also understand the vaccination of
different animals in order to be a successful farmer in the future. It may also help understand and be
able to assist my parents. The knowledge from the FPT may also help me become a better farmer in the
future.
DESCRIPTION OF DAILY ROUTINES

At broiler enterprise ,we were assisted by Coletta Sue who have a degree in Range Science, Tiego who
has a degree in soil and water engineering, Khumo Monyamane who has a degree in Science ,Sales and
reports, Warona Modungwa who has a degree in Animal Science , feed records and Keolopile Oabile who
has a bachelor of Science in Agricultural engineering. At broiler enterprise the technologies used
involved, automated bell drinkers which ensures that water is always available in the house. Another
technology was at the slaughter house which is also under broiler enterprise which was the electric
stunning machine and the plucking machine. The tools used included the manual drinkers which were
used to provide the chickens with water , feeders which were used to provide feed and the knife used to
remove the offals. The daily activities involved feeding, provision of water and temperature recording.
Before marketing, chickens go through a process of slaughtering in which the electric stunning machine
is used to make the chicken unconscious. After stunning the chicken is beheaded and hanged upside
done for blood to drip outside. The chicken is then passed to the next station at which the offal are
removed and the chicken is then cleaned. There will be removal of excess fats and packaging. After
packaging the chicken is then chilled in the cold room where is then ready for market. All workers under
broiler enterprise reports to Coletta Sue who is the team leader and she reports to Mr Motladiile who is
the supervisor and he reports to Dr Rantao the farm manager. The records kept involved the mortality
record, feeding record and the room temperature which helped one to decide if he/she may open the
flaps or close them.

At piggery enterprise we were assisted by Bond Ncube who have a degree in animal Science, Godfrey
Molatlhegi who have a degree in water and soil engineering and Tercia Ramachekane who have a degree
in animal Science. The technology used is nipples which supplies the pigs with water. The daily activities
involved cleaning and feeding. All the workers under piggery enterprise reports to Bame Rasefako the
team leader who reports to Mr Motladiile the supervisor who reports to Dr Rantao the farm manager.
DESCRIPTION OF FARM ACTIVITIES

BROILR ENTERPRISE

FEEDING; Feeding was made according to different age categories of chickens. For the 1st two weeks,
chickens were fed the starter feed which is responsible for proper bone development ,for the other two
weeks they were fed grower feed which is responsible for muscle and skeletal development and for the
last two weeks they were fed finisher feed which enhanced growth.

VACCINATION; There was vaccination for different diseases at different ages using different vaccines.
There was Gumboro vaccine used to vaccinate for Gumboro disease at the age of 14 and 17 weeks. This
vaccine do not work in water with chlorine, so nutra chloro solution was used to stabilize chlorine in
water. Another vaccine was Newcastle and infectious bronctitis at the age of ……….. for Newcastle
disease. After every vaccination, the chickens were given the stress pack as many reactions were taking
place in the chicken`s body.

SLAUGHTERING; Chickens were always slaughtered after they reach age of six weeks. The first stage of
slaughtering was stunning in which the electric stunning machine was used to make chickens
unconscious. Secondly the chickens were beheaded and hanged upside down for the blood to drip
outside. The chicken was then passed to the next station at which the offal are removed. After removal
of offal the chickens are cleaned and then passed to the other station at which the removal of excess fats
is done. After removal of excess fats, the chickens are packed and chilled in the cold room ready for
distribution.

PIGGERY ENTERPRISE

CLEANING; Cleaning involved collecting droppings using a wheelbarrow and shovel. The droppings were
then disposed at the site. After removal of droppings, hard broom ,soft broom and water was used to
scrab the floor. Cleaning is done to avoid infections like foot rot as the pigs are sensitive to dirt.

FEEDING; Pigs were fed different types of feeds depending on their age categories. The weaners were
fed starter feed which is soft because they are still young. Secondly the growers were fed grower
feed ,boars and sows were fed the dry sow and boar.

ION SUPPLIMENTATION; As the pigs are not able to produce enough ion for themselves, they need ion
supplementation. The pigs are always born with low levels of ion in their blood. The sows are not able to
supply the piglets with ion as their milk has low level of ion. Dexyrol and syringe with a needle were
used.
FINDINGS

For the FPT I expected to learn more about things that we learn in the class by the means of theory. I
expected to see things like, an automated milking machine, to learn about the slaughtering process ,to
treat certain diseases affecting different livestock like anthrax, coccidiosis and heart water. All this
experience would help me understand things that we are taught in the class better. It would also help me
understand more about diseases affecting livestock and be able to assist my parents at home.
Unfortunately, some expectations like seeing how the automated milking machine operates and some
diseases I was not able to get exposed to. I only learnt about one disease for goats which is coccidiosis
and how to treat and prevent it. The farm should retain dairy into the enterprise so that the upcoming
students will get exposed to it. I didn`t expect to learn about pigs but I have found it important as there
are some people from our community who keeps pigs and need assistance.
CONCLUSION

In conclusion the FPT was well, and I learnt more during it. I was able to differentiate between how
different vaccination is made. The attachment got me exposed to different activities involved in the
broiler enterprise like the brooding unit, the bedding and its importance. I have learnt about
slaughtering and taking a good care of pigs. All this information will help me become a better farmer at
the future as I will b knowing exactly what I should do when it comes to a certain disease. I will be able
to realize a certain disease as I will be knowing the symptoms of diseases.
RECCOMENDATIONS

I will like to advice the BUAN enterprises to repair the houses. I will like to advice them to fill the holes at
the piggery house as they store excess water which may foot rot to the pigs. I will like to advice those at
the broiler enterprise to fill the space that allows the birds entering the poultry house as they may carry
some diseases which may badly affect the chickens. The farm should maintain it`s cleanliness and the
qualified workers it consists of. I will like to encourage the farm to continue using foot baths. I will like to
advice the farm to install the reserve tanks for easy access if there is water shortage in the city. All the
enterprises that are closed more especially ruminants should be retained so that the upcoming students
will get exposed to them.