Ached quite a bit from all the pressure washing yesterday. Still after breakfast (I prefer the strawberry Summer Porridge to the blueberry) I went to the farm for 8:30 to start.
And what a day it was, I got to do something I had never come close to doing before.
Today's work:
Cleaned 4 out of the 6 calving pens.
Watched some of the sheep being sheared - the shearers were lightning fast.
Helped pull a calf out (it was a very late calf, so it was huge. Can't have been much fun for the mother.) It was wonderful to see it breathe and start walking less than 10 mins after being born.
Moved the cows from the field to the milking barn, some decided to try and hide behind a tractor on the way back near the slurry lagoon so I had to chase them out.
Hosed down the floors and metalwork in the calving pens (except for the two that were occupied, of course)
I finished earlier today at around 5:15, and I have an exam tomorrow so I'm going back to the farm on Friday.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Part Zwei
If I thought I was tired yesterday, darn was I naive.
Got up at 7:15, ate my Summer Porridge (it was nice, I made it again with strawberries instead of blueberries for tomorrow) and then drove to the farm for an 8:30 start. When I got there, the fun began.
What happened:
Changed the calves' water.
Fed chickens and got their eggs.
Pressure washed half the metalwork in the milking parlour.
Pressure washer broke.
Had to use vise and spanner to get the nut off so that it could be fixed.
While the PW was being fixed, I helped Steve dig the muck out of the cow barn so the tractor could scoop it up. It came up to my knees at the beginning.
Led the cows from the middle field into the waiting area for the milking parlour.
Used the pressure washer to clean the inside and outside of a chicken barn roughly the size of three large caravans put together. Got completely soaked, even through the waterproof coat and overalls I was wearing.
All in all, a really great day. Finished at around 6:30.
Got up at 7:15, ate my Summer Porridge (it was nice, I made it again with strawberries instead of blueberries for tomorrow) and then drove to the farm for an 8:30 start. When I got there, the fun began.
What happened:
Changed the calves' water.
Fed chickens and got their eggs.
Pressure washed half the metalwork in the milking parlour.
Pressure washer broke.
Had to use vise and spanner to get the nut off so that it could be fixed.
While the PW was being fixed, I helped Steve dig the muck out of the cow barn so the tractor could scoop it up. It came up to my knees at the beginning.
Led the cows from the middle field into the waiting area for the milking parlour.
Used the pressure washer to clean the inside and outside of a chicken barn roughly the size of three large caravans put together. Got completely soaked, even through the waterproof coat and overalls I was wearing.
All in all, a really great day. Finished at around 6:30.
Monday, 3 June 2013
First Day
Started the first week of my work experience today.
I need six weeks of 'relevant work experience' so that I can get a place at the Royal Agricultural College in order to study Agriculture and Farm Management.
The day went like this (after my History exam in the morning, of course):
Met Paul (male) and Charlie (female).
Used pressure washer to clean cow poo off from milking room walls.
Led cows up from the middle field to the barn next to the milking room.
Dipped teats of cows in iodine solution, then wiped it off.
Attached milking machine suction cups to the teats.
Dipped teats in iodine once more after the suction cups had come off.
Took some of the milk to feed the calves.
Filled the calves' water buckets.
It was great, I learned tons in a really short amount of time and I came home with the feeling of tiredness that only comes from good honest work.
Looking forward to tomorrow, I made Summer Porridge for my breakfast (it's in the fridge right now) and I'm due back on the farm at 8:30 in the morning.
I need six weeks of 'relevant work experience' so that I can get a place at the Royal Agricultural College in order to study Agriculture and Farm Management.
The day went like this (after my History exam in the morning, of course):
Met Paul (male) and Charlie (female).
Used pressure washer to clean cow poo off from milking room walls.
Led cows up from the middle field to the barn next to the milking room.
Dipped teats of cows in iodine solution, then wiped it off.
Attached milking machine suction cups to the teats.
Dipped teats in iodine once more after the suction cups had come off.
Took some of the milk to feed the calves.
Filled the calves' water buckets.
It was great, I learned tons in a really short amount of time and I came home with the feeling of tiredness that only comes from good honest work.
Looking forward to tomorrow, I made Summer Porridge for my breakfast (it's in the fridge right now) and I'm due back on the farm at 8:30 in the morning.
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