September forgotten NOT!

I didn't actually post in september. At all. How crazy of me. Incase you're interested I did some hoof-trimming. Went round with a hoof trimmer I know through my Pa, and it was really interesting. They were lovely people, I saw loads of farms (including a farmer I worked with ages ago) and learnt alot. Hurrah!

Stables, Simpson and Frosts.

I've spent the week at the local stables - the same place I was at last year. It's a It was good fun again, the people there are all lovely, and the horses are all so laid back and relaxed that it's a joy to work with them. We also had visits from the vet and farrier, so I tagged along with them while they were there, spending the rest of my time doing the standard vet student tasks of mucking out, grooming and tacking up. 11 weeks done now - just 1 week of farm experience to do!

In other news, I went to the cinema on Wednesday to see The Simpson's movie. I went with Hannah and Mum and Dad - it was a nice family evening out. The film is good, very funny, just like a modern Simpsons episode by 83 minutes long. The entire storyline does focus on the family which means some of the other characters are forgotten about, but I suppose they had to do that. It is the only movie they've made, and it is called "The Simpsons". However, I think the telly program always benifited from the many well known characters. Still a very good film though! We went on a Wednesday, which meant we got one ticket free (text "film" to 241), but it meant the queue in the Rotunda was huge - stretching out almost to Pizza Express! Rahul said he was going to be in the cinema at the same time (we drew 3-3 at snooker that very day), but I didn't see him. I did see Jfro though, which was cool - haven't seen him properly for ages - we'll have to arrange a drink. Fancy it Jamie?

70 pints a DAY!?

The ITV News yesterday showed a huge 10 minute piece about the offspring of a cloned cow that had been born in this country about a year ago, and proceeded to launch into an "analysis" of what the risks to consumers might be. As far as I can see this is just shameless scaremongering - the only risks to cloning cattle to produce 70 pints (yes, 70) of milk a day is that to the animal. Before the intensive selective breeding of Fresian/Holstein (and Jersey to an extent) cattle they produced a fraction of the milk they do now. This was clearly less efficient, but seeing modern dairy cattle walking around with hugely distended udders, covered in scratch marks, and the high rate of mastitis present in the UK dairy herd makes you wonder. The metabolic strain that producing such high quantities of such a product must surely take its toll, and eventually lead to premature culling.
Cloning cattle to massively increase yields is wrong, but the human biased angle put on it by ITV was shocking. I hope that consumer worries stem from a welfare perspective rather than the implied health perspective given.

Oh God, He's pumping a Porshe

Sequence of events:

1. Small child outside stables in car park carrying a bicycle pump.
2. Small child sees Porsche parked in car-park.
   
3. Child decides that Porsche is looking a little flat (it's pretty low-to-the-road), and decides that it would be kind to give it a little air.
4. Child inserts pump through rear grill and starts, well, pumping.
5. Mother of small child turns round and exclaims "Oh God, he's pumping a Porsche".
6. Small child is removed from vicinity of Porsche.
7. Tom appears wheeling a barrow full of horse-shit.
8. Mother: "Oh god, it's not your Porsche is it?"
9. Tom. "No. I wish". <-- how witty.
   

Do I look like I own a Porsche? Would that be a compliment or not? Ideas on a postcard (or in the comments box).

Had riding lesson number 2 this afternoon. It was much better than last time, as I have more idea of what I'm doing. I got to do a rising trot, which is much less painful than a sitting trot which is, as you can imagine, bouncy and painful (particularly if you are male). You have to sit up and down with the gait of the horse. I'm still being led as am not good enough to be trusted on my own with the horse, and I succeeded in knackering out bill by trotting up and down the arena. Hehehehe.

The horses are still being a little naughty. I came to the conclusion yesterday that it was the heat that was making them cranky, but today they had no excuse. Though today it was mostly Tessie that was a pain. Maybe she's just decided she doesn't like me.

Naughty Horses!

Just got back from the gym - my 5th time so far, and the 4th since last week. Definitely think it's worth both the money and effort - hopefully there'll be calves lifted and bails of hay thrown before you know it.
Been to the Stables again this morning, and the horses were a little less co-operative than they were at the end of last week. This could either be because they didn't remember me from last week, or (involving slightly more congnitive capability than I think a horse has - though I'm sure some horseypeople will tell me otherwise) they have realised that I am no longer new, and so are not required to be on their 'best behaviour' anymore. Either way - Smartie, Tessie and Molly, who are usually charming horses (Tessie can occasionally be a pain) were gnawwy, reluctant to have their hooves picked, angry about being groomed and generally awkward. Oh well, it's all experience I guess!
Had quite a nice weekend. Spent Sunday wandering round Kingston with Hannah vainly trying to find some coloured clothes for her. Unfortunately neither Topshop nor River Island, H&M nor M&S, Gap nor FCUK, had anything suitable. Everything was either weirdly shaped or itchy. Nevermind! Bumped randomly into Rahul while I was in town. I was queueing up for a bottle of water in WHSmith when my sister whispered "Don't you know that guy behind you?" "Which one?" I replied. "Er, Rahul?". I turned round, and she was right. The girl who had never met him recognised him when I just strolled past. I'm such a man. Anyway, stopped for a quick chat and he introduced me to one of his friends from Selwyn (a Tiffin Girl), who had worked briefly at the same Stables as me. T'is a small world!
Today is also Mary's birthday. If you're reading this Mary, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Tom

I'm really enjoying this stable work that I'm doing at the moment. It's really nice to actually get some one-on-one contact with an animal, rather than generally dealing with them "in bulk" as you do on farms. I'm less daunted by the horses, and so they're less scared by me, and generally things are getting easier. I can now tack-up by myself, and have generally got more confident around the animals as a result of mucking out, leading around the stables (finally managed to decipher head collars!), grooming, and the riding lesson I was given. I also led Sherry out with two other horses on a riding for the disabled hack around the local estate.

Yesterday after work, I wandered into Kingston to meet up with Geoff and Boycie. We had lunch in Wagamama's, caught up and did a little bit of shopping, though I didn't buy anything apart from someone's birthday present. Was really nice to see them - the last time was back in Cambridge, must have been sometime in July!

Gee-up

Just had my first day of Horse-keeping. I mucked out, got stood on (my poor bloodied toe), led horses around, groomed, wormed and drank tea. All before noon. Fantastic! Don't know if the smell of anti-fly cream will ever leave my fingers though!

Met up with Sean in the afternoon for a bit of Gymmage - was good to see him again - has been a while. He's just been to the Edinburgh festival, and was raving over "rolling mystery-machine film pickups" across the streets of Edinburgh, amongst other stories. hehe

Childhood Dream #1 -- Fulfilled

This particular activity was so incredible, that it deserves it's own post. While on the pig farm, I fulfilled a childhood dream... I DROVE THE JCB. Yes, I was a digger driver for a day. I had to reverse it out of the farmyard, through a gate, over a hill and then lower some milk-churns full of water over an electric fence (I may have accidentally electrocuted the farmer, but it was my first time!) and then drive back. More fun than I could ever have imagined. Luckily it had an automatic clutch, which was handy as I wouldn't have fancied clunking the gears on a 2 tonne soil-shifter.

5 Reasons why pigs are smart.

Pigs. Pigs pigs pigs. They are smart little things. Many reasons:

1. The little buggers can learn how to open gate-bolts. And once they learn, they never forget. Oh, and they can lift gates off their hinges. Yes.




2. Once the boar smells his ladies, no amount of coaxing will get him to go in the opposite direction. And he has big teeth - and unlike a cow and it's immense strength, he knows how to use them*
3. Piglets are powerful, and they know how to flail.
4. They can somehow root around in their own filth all day without getting noticably ill, or throwing up.
5. They will only defecate in particular areas, and will keep their bedding areas clean, if given space to do so. This does actually make them, in my opinion, the cleanest of all the domestic animals I've worked with (excepting cats).

Overall, it was a really good week. The farmer had pigs (breeding, rearing and finishing - was great to see the whole process, though sadly I missed any farrowings - the two sows that were due while I was there had aborted a month or so before - clearly they knew I was coming!), cattle and sheep, and as a result I got to do a huge variety of things, including de-maggotting two fly struck sheep, jabbing a lively little piglet with some antibiotics, going to 2 farmers' markets, and 3 different abatoirs. He also had his own butchery so I got to try my hand at a spot of mincing - plus the bacon at breakfast was insurpassable!.

*I never actually got skewered by a boar, don't worry - he wasn't very good at standing up - looked like he was trying to walk on stilettos.

My Little Ovine "Friends"

I am back in the land of the living after quite a few weeks. Lambing was tough - really tough. I was working from around 10-11am until 3am every day for two weeks. Oh, and Sheep haven't heard of weekends. Grr. Still, it was an experience I'm glad I've had - I must have lambed around 100 lambs if not more, and I'm much more confident with the animals themselves. I know that when my muscles are working (i.e. when they havent been battered by 100 hour weeks) I can floor a sheep and pull smaller sheep out from its backside. Hurrah! Such skills a London lad thought he could never dream of learning. But, seriously, I'd not be doing anything else. I love this vet thing.

My general day was as follows:

• *10.30am - get up
• *11.00am - go out to sheep shed, and have a quick walk round, see if anything's lambing, if it is, pull it out, or leave it if it's doing ok on its own. Memorise where sheep are that are lambing. Put any sheep that have lambed overnight and cannot be put in small pens (cos there are none left) in a large pen with no other lambs in to prevent them getting mixed up.

• * anytime between 11.10 and noon, start feeding and watering all the sheep in small pens. Throw out the water the sheep have crapped in and refill buckets with water from a slow hose. Give "nuts" (concentrate feed) to sheep. Repeat, 60 times. Constantly re-check sheep, and disinfect and move sheep into pens as farmer takes sheep from small pens outside.

• * 2-3pm - LUNCH
• * 4pm - go back out, and repeat - lamb sheep, check sheep, feed sheep, including hay this time.
• * 10-11pm - DINNER
• * 11.30pm - midnight - check sheep again, lamb and move anything required.
• * 2.30am - 4am - BED.

I have used the word "move" and "put" with regards to sheep. Moving sheep is much much easier said than done, as anyone who has done this will vouch for. Still, while it was a little soul-destroying at times, and I was counting down the hours by the end, it was fun at others.

On the last Thursday (the day before I came home) I got Ill, which, we came to the conclusion when I was better the next Wednesday must have been E-coli from the sheep. They didn't like me.

I've included some photos for your perusal. They're mobile-phone pics so not of the greatest quality, but you get the general idea that there were sheep! Lots of sheep. The pic at the top is me and Vinnie Jones, the stockiest cheekiest houdini of a lamb you ever did meet. Hehe.

Tom
xx

Lambiferous

Just a little note to wish you all a good 2 weeks, as I am off to deepest darkest Wales to birth some sheep. Have fun everyone!

Tom
xxx

Tom Knows Cows

Just spent 2 weeks on a cattle farm. It was an experience, I would perhaps like to repeat but definitely not like to do for a living. The cows were cool, most of them nice (though 28, 53 and 107 are the evil kicking ones that stick out in my mind), number 7 was particularly pleasant despite being an old grandma with a top speed of about half a mile an hour (quite literally).

I got to do a rectal examination (well, more of just a general feel around before the farmer did AI, but I got an idea of what I should find up a cow's arse), which was great fun (don't laugh), I feel like I have lived the vet dream now (and so can happily retire :)

I got to calve a calf, which, either fortunately or unluckily depending on from who's point of view you look at it, began to calve when the farmer was away. So I rang him up
"Um, Wilf... one of your cows is calving," to which he replied something along the lines of; "I'll be back in 20 minutes, just get the calving ropes out of the house, my Mum will know where they are, and give it a go."
"Do i burst the bag?"
"Yes"

Twas great - what greater experience I am getting than a medical student!

Other stuff I got to do included

* Injecting
* Dehorning (which is gruesome - you get a huge soldering iron thing and gouge the horn out from their skull)
* Ear Tagging (less gruesome, more like ear piercing, but with a bigger hole)
* Milking, LOTS of milking
* Moving shit about... LOTS of shit.
* Making fires (muwaha)
* Watching for "heat"
* Following a vet round briefly.

So yeah, a worthwhile venture in the end. Glad I went! So, 4 weeks down, 8 to go!

PICTURES!!!!!!!

Granny


Some little week old Fresian/Holstein Heifers.


The low yielders enjoying their sileage, maize and sugar beet lunch.


Limousin Bull


Jack the Rotweiler- a sweetie really.