This post was in my drafts unitil now... :)
During the June-July holidays, a friend and I went to the experimental farm to help and learn a few new things. We started at 7 in the the morning and first went to a sick cow. She was injected with something (can't remember what) intravenously and we drenched her with A LOT of water as she could not stand up to drink. When the tube was put into her rumen we had to make sure it was not in her lungs, but we just knew it was in the right place because of the smell! Otherwise we would have had to blow into the tube and listen if we could hear bubbles, which would indicate it was in the rumen.
We injected a few cows and put cidrs in them. Cidrs contain Progesterone. When it is taken out after a few days they are injected with Luteinize (I believe) and then all of them come into oestrus at the same time. This is much easier as having to detect cows in oestrus.
A few calves, probably about 30, were taken up to where the crush and head bail are. We put nose pliers in their nose to control them more easily. One held the rope from the pliers and the other one used a horn cutter to cut the horns and then burn it and put stockholm tar on it so that they don't get infection. They were already actually too old to have it done so there was a bit more blood than usual! After putting on the tar they looked as if nothing had happened and went on grazing, but I think it must have hurt a lot. Some things just have to be done when farming with livestock...preferably at the right age.
I could not take pictures as my hands were really dirty!
A little less than a month to go before the December holidays!Then wedding planning, searching for a dress and spending time with my family over Christmas. Classes start again at the end of January, but the 2nd years have to be at Onderstepoort from mid-January.. so excited!
During the June-July holidays, a friend and I went to the experimental farm to help and learn a few new things. We started at 7 in the the morning and first went to a sick cow. She was injected with something (can't remember what) intravenously and we drenched her with A LOT of water as she could not stand up to drink. When the tube was put into her rumen we had to make sure it was not in her lungs, but we just knew it was in the right place because of the smell! Otherwise we would have had to blow into the tube and listen if we could hear bubbles, which would indicate it was in the rumen.
We injected a few cows and put cidrs in them. Cidrs contain Progesterone. When it is taken out after a few days they are injected with Luteinize (I believe) and then all of them come into oestrus at the same time. This is much easier as having to detect cows in oestrus.
A few calves, probably about 30, were taken up to where the crush and head bail are. We put nose pliers in their nose to control them more easily. One held the rope from the pliers and the other one used a horn cutter to cut the horns and then burn it and put stockholm tar on it so that they don't get infection. They were already actually too old to have it done so there was a bit more blood than usual! After putting on the tar they looked as if nothing had happened and went on grazing, but I think it must have hurt a lot. Some things just have to be done when farming with livestock...preferably at the right age.
I could not take pictures as my hands were really dirty!
A little less than a month to go before the December holidays!Then wedding planning, searching for a dress and spending time with my family over Christmas. Classes start again at the end of January, but the 2nd years have to be at Onderstepoort from mid-January.. so excited!
