I lost summer, somewhere between my farm placements i think. This has been the most exhausting (mentally, physically and emotionally) summer ever. As I said last post I was going to Scotland to do my work experience, 2 weeks turned into 4, that’s a hell of a long time to be away from friends. I came back for results day but no party for me, guess my birthday went by without friends this year. My family did come to see me though, with presents and balloons, that was nice. Anyway I’m getting ahead of myself, the family I was staying with had forgotten the pass code for the internet so i couldn’t blog, so here’s the last 5 weeks.
The first week was great. I was on a beef farm with a nice, if heavily accented, Scottish farmer called Archie and his three sons. Mostly I was left to explore on the first day and it was mostly observation that week. I went to a cattle auction with him on the second day and what chaos that was, the caller was speaking what sounded like gibberish until it was coming to an end and Archie was distracted with another farmer so i felt kinda confused by it all. Eventually we left, he bought 23 new steers all for around £500. He buys the cattle at 300 kilos (15 months old), lets them graze in the fields till their 500 kilos, then fattens them to 700 before sending them to the abattoir, where they use 70% of the carcass at around £2.77 per Kg. I got to help vaccinate the new steers for IBR intranasally and saw them getting wormed with a spray on wormer which happens every 2 months.
I went to the agricultural show that Saturday with Lydia, Rebecca’s older cousin. The farmer she works for was judging the sheep so we went and helped give out prizes for the Beltex. I got to see all sorts of aspects of agriculture, from the machines, to preventive medicine and of course the animals. I got to see a performance by chariots of fire, a horse troop with carts and ponies. I talked to the vet at the show and even won a bowl and some kitten food on the vet raffle… Too bad I don’t have a kitten.
The dairy farm I hated. It was an Irish farmer that I couldn’t understand and even when I could his instructions weren’t very clear at all. I think he expected me to know things about farming that I didn’t, like not to open gates but to hop over them. But the calves more than made up for him. They were so sweet and just wanted to suckle anything and everything, including my clothes. The calves only get bottle fed for 2 days so that they can get the antibodies they need, within the first 6 hours its crucial for them to absorb the antibodies otherwise they sicken and die. Then its a bucket of milk for 8 days, then solids. I did 2 hours of milking everyday, it’s hectic and confusing in the milking parlor and really noisy and smelly. I had to do a lot of poo shoveling and I ended up covered most days but I was fine as long as they let me feed the newborn calves.
The third week I was at an animal sanctuary where I met Zoe, she was on an animal management course from Leeds and was in her last week of her 6 weeks of work experience, she was living in the caravan on sight with Anthony, also on work ex. I had a lot of fun at the sanctuary. Yes it was hard work: mucking out the goats and pigs, walking the ferrets and feeding all the animals, but it was a lot more hands on. I even lead tours in the last few days and collected donations. My favorite animals were the goats and rabbits, although Annabel the sheep was cute too. All the animals had their own unique stories of why they were there. Like Connie the horse who had been a champion show jumper until she refused to go back in her horse box and ended up at Mossburn.
My last week was the best and worst. Best because I was finally at a vets. They were so nice, especially the nurses and Grace who is a 3rd year vet student at Edinburgh. I got to see a lot of interesting things including : a Yorkie getting pins in its leg after a break, a cow with an LDA (left displaced abomasum(stomach)) and many consultations. I saw my first animal get put down at the start of the week (a calf) and then a cat on the 4th day, it was in such an awful state with a distended belly and it couldn’t even stand, putting it to sleep stopped its suffering which was drawn out far too long.
Worst because the family that I was staying with had had enough of me, things that were overlooked in the first few weeks because i was a guest were blown out of proportion and I was accused of not respecting their boundaries when I was trying my best not to upset their household. They lost all their trust in me, I really have no idea why and started accusing me of things I didn’t do, then lecturing me on honesty when i wouldn’t confess. I wasn’t allowed to talk to the children without an adult in the room and had to ask for everything. I tried to stay out the way and get through the week but they accused me of going into my shell and not interacting, then threatened to send me home. I was so glad the surgery where I was getting my work experience was so nice otherwise I wouldn’t have made it through the week. I went home early on the Friday and I’m never going back.
During my week at Mossburn animal sanctuary i went home for results day. Not as good as i hoped but then again not as bad as i feared. I got an A in chemistry and Biology and a B in Maths and Physics. I’m dropping Physics and resitting my Math to get an A. At the moment I’m meant to be writing my personal statement but I’m finding it difficult, there’s not much room and I’m trying not to sound boring, plus the fact i haven’t technically got all the experience i need. I need 1 more week at a vets so i sent letters to all the neighboring surgeries. I got a phone call this morning saying they wanted a CV, don’t know why, its just work ex but i wrote one anyway. Hopefully since they’re asking they might have a place for me, fingers crossed.