CAPRICORN SOUTH DISTRICT

NATIONAL
SENIOR CERTIFICATE

GRADE 12

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
PRACTICAL INVESTIGATION
22 FEBRUARY 2024

TOTAL: 50 MARKS DURATION: 1½HOUR

This paper consists of 5 pages, and 4 pages for Annexures A – D

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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1. Answer ALL the questions in the ANSWER SHEET

2. Start each Question on a NEW page
3. Study the questions carefully and ensure that you answer what is required
4. Number your answers correctly according to the numbering system used in
this question paper.
5. Write neatly and legibly.
6. The Question Paper has Annexures A – D with pictures
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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

QUESTION 1

1.1. The table below represents the five Feeds used by Tom Lasaster for his
Beefmaster bulls.

FEED DM% TDN% ASH% CF% P% K% NE% CHO% DP%

Feed 1 89 72 21 11 2,2 1,5 92 76 12

Feed 2 86 84 19 14 1,4 2,1 88 62 12

Feed 3 94 139 23 16 1,3 1.4 75 53 12

Feed 4 91 112 18 12 2,1 3,6 86 61 12

Feed 5 88 138 26 19 1,5 1,2 76 57 12

DM – Dry material, TDN – Total digestible nutrients, ASH, Crude fibre,

Phosphorus, K – Potassium, NE – Nett energy, CHO – Carbohydrate,
DP – Digestible protein

Investigate the Feeds (Feed 1 – Feed 5) used by Tom Lasaster when preparing
his Beefmaster bulls for market through the auction and indicate Feed used for:

1.1.1. Fattening (1)

1.1.2. Maintenance (1)

1.1.3. Production (1)

1.1.4. Reproduction (1)

1.1.5. Growth (1)

1.2. Use Nutritive Ratio method to support your answers in QUESTION 1.1.5 (4)

1.3. Briefly describe the implication of Nutritive Ratio of Feed 1 and Feed 3 in
terms of carbohydrates and protein requirements. (4)

1.4. Investigate the portions of Feed 1 and Feed 4 which should be included
in the 50kg bag of scientifically-formulated feed for Beefmaster bulls if the
required percentage of digestible protein is 48. (4)
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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

1.5. Determine the metabolic energy of Feed 5 if one Beefmaster bull has a
body heat of 42MJ (2)

1.6. Tom Lasaster prepared 125 bulls of 18 months old for the market through
auction when they reached 24 months old. He fed each bull with 9kg silage
three times a day of Feed 2 for the remaining period before the auction
day. Each Beefmaster bull released 13,22kg of dry manure per day.
Determine the digestibility coefficient of the Beefmaster bull. (4)

1.7. Would you recommend Feed 2 to be fed to Tom Lasaster’s Beefmaster

bulls which were placed in the fattening program for the market in the
next six months at the auction? Substantiate your answer. (3)

1.8. If a Beefmaster bull consumes 9kg silage three times a day, investigate
the possible amount of silage that would be eaten by 125 bulls in the next
six months before the day of the auction. Leave your final answer in tons. (4)

SUB-TOTAL MARK [30]

QUESTION 2

2.1. Name the farming system and farming production system used by Tom
Lasaster. (2)

2.2. Describe TWO methods which are used to improve digestion of feed for
animals as shown on the pictures. (2)

2.3. Discuss TWO factors to increase animal production in the Beefmaster

production farm. Make use of visible provided pictures to support your
answers. (4)

2.4. Investigate the type of the shelter used on the farm for Beefmaster and
discuss its requirements and suitability for the type of the production
system practised on the farm. (4)
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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

2.5. The following table represents lower critical temperature and optimum
temperature and heat production of different farm animals

Lower critical Optimum Heat produced

Farm animal temperature (0C) temperature (0C) (kj/h)
Sows 8 12 1100

Layers 6 11 39

Dairy cows 2 13 1950

Bacon pigs 12 18 600

Chicken (day-old) 18 32 6

2.5.1. Draw a combined bar graph to show lower critical temperature and
optimum temperature of all the farm animals on the table above. (6)

2.5.2. Mention the animal that has the highest heat production per hour. (1)

2.5.3. Indicate the farm animals that has the highest lower critical temperature. (1)

SUB-TOTAL MARK [20]

GRAND TOTAL [50]

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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

ANNEXURE A

Beefmaster was established by Edward C. Lasaster in 1908 when he bought Brahman

bulls to use on his commercial herd of Hereford and Shorthorn cattle. Beefmaster
comprise of 50% Brahman, 25% Hereford and 25% Shorthorn. Tom Lasaster took over
his father’s work and proceeded in developing and improving the Beefmaster breed in
1930 after his father’s death. His main aim was to produce the cattle breed that was more
productive than any other existing cattle breeds in the world. He geared at the breed that
will be more productive even when the environmental conditions are unfavourable in
South Texas. The Beefmaster was developed based on the six paramount factors,
videlicit: weight, conformation, milking ability, fertility, hardness and disposition. The
preferred colour was brownish red. United State Department of Agriculture officially
recognized the Beefmaster for the first time in 1954, and regarded it as an American
breed.

“Instead of our cattle grazing in the wild and consuming an untraceable, and often
insufficiently nutritious grass-based diet, we take all the guesswork out of their nutrition
and feed our cattle only the very best scientifically-formulated feed. Upon arriving at the
feedlot, new recruits are immediately introduced to the feedlot way of life being provided
plenty of fresh hay and drinking water.” ([email protected]). The reason new
arrivals’ introduction to the schedule is staggered is because grain and alternative feeds,
like our scientifically formulated feed, must be introduced slowly to cattle who are
accustomed to a grass-based diet, to help prevent absolutely avoidable GI matters in our
cattle from day one.

Cattle need to be fed at the same time each day to avoid GI upsets, and are typically fed
2 to 3 times per day. Nevertheless, in wet weather, they may be fed smaller portions even
more frequently, as the wet weather means the feed in the open troughs spoils more
quickly, and must be replaced more often to avoid illness in the cattle. The primary
challenges faced in feedlot farming include maintenance of the optimum health and diet
of the cattle and the management of the animal waste. As cattle manure is rich in the
nutrients required to farm the grains used in the composition of their feed, a self-
sustaining cycle of buying and selling grain and manure is often observed by feedlots and
the grain farmers who supply them. (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, copper,
manganese, zinc). ([email protected])
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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

ANNEXURE B

ANNEXURE C
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Agricultural Sciences Practical Investigation NSC Capricorn South District 22 February 2024

ANNEXURE D