Random writings of the goings on at vet school Down Under
I Would Like to Be a Lady Again
Ha ha ha...yes I know many of you who know me have always thought of me as a tom boy, or one of the guys. I think my friend Eric described me best when he said I am the person who will be helping you change a tire one minute and can throw on a dress and do dinner and dancing the next. Well, I am over the tire changing for a moment...and the fence mending, and the calve wrestling, and the tractor driving, and horse catching. Time to clean up and dance LOL.
Lets see here, my second week is almost over at the farm and it has been a great experience, but as you can tell I am a bit over it. I have been kicked by calves in the shin, smashed my finger in a gate, kicked by calves on the outer thigh, bruised my hand in a race chute, kicked by calves on the inner thigh, dragged through the mud, kicked by calves in the elbow, major rope burn on my hand, kicked by calves, fiber glass splinters in both hands from cattle prod pole etc...
Monday, Ian and I tried to catch a baby foal that has not really been handled. Just the two of us, one on each end of the rope walking towards the little foal in the round paddock. Now plan is: foal runs into rope, wrap around foal, and hand my end to Ian as he wrestles it down. NOT EASY...foal runs into rope I run as fast as I can to Ian, but I am ripped to the ground about four times. I hit the ground so hard I have uprooted plants in the top of my pants when I go to change later and I have a strange limp from a very bruised hip...and OW rope burn. Finally get my end to Ian, twice even, and he is dragged to the ground, foal bashes head. All of us bruised and battered and he eventually justs lassos it Texas style. She is suprisingly good once you start handling her. It is the catching.
Tuesday, the calves we were marking were soooo big, they were almost as big as their mums. Most went up the adult race even to be marked. Mike and I decided one rather large calf was calm enough to go in the calf pen...oops. Calf panics, comes climbing over fence jumps on me...kicks me in elbow and inner thigh and smashes me in fence. No more leaping calves please...I took great pleasure in castrating the buggers on Tuesday he he.
Today, more mustering in the freezing freezing cold. Tomorrow, more calf marking and apparently, in the pouring rain. The other vet student has arrived and I am more than glad to pass the torch and let her take over most tasks if she would like
Ok, nap time, I need a vacation...or maybe just a tiolet actually INSIDE the house
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
I Castrate for a Living
Random writings of the goings on at vet school Down Under
So I have been a bit busy, and after a really hard days work I dont feel much like blogging. Yesterday was soooo tough. Ok, Tuesday...we got the massive mob down to the pen at the cattle yard...then tea time. I have never drank so much tea in my life LOL! There is always time for tea is a great motto. It is a good break as well...good long ride, then boots off, hats off horses set loose for a break, and 30 minutes to an hour of sitting around and talking about everything under the sun. Tea finished, catch horses and back out we go to move another mob...then more tea and load the horses on the trailer (called a float here) and we are off to a location 30 minutes away to muster more cattle close to another yard. Stop at the neighbors...which is very far away for yep, you guessed it more tea and chit chat for an hour or two and then back for dinner and after....more tea and talking. I was told that none of us would be smiling after Wednesday night...and they sure were right.
Wednesday morning...get cows in yard and then draft cows and calves (separate them from each other) tea at 10 :) 11 time to mark 245 calves. This is a long painful process of tearing chunks out of their ears and putting tags in both...and yes, if they are male, castrating them on the spot...in the mud etc. I was on ear torture duty on Wednesday and I felt aweful making them scream like that, and boy could they scream. I fell in the mud, boot got stuck and my foot came out and sock went in the mud, then both hands. This was while trying to scare cattle into next yard. As soon as I fell, they came running right by me, and I thought, soon over me. I decided I would be much more use if they did not need a snorkel to come find me and stay around the edge where it was a bit harder ground. The guys told me they were going to stick a flag on my head so they knew where I was in the herd...ha ha ha, very funny :P
The vet came out to look at three bulls who have been a bit "too busy" lately and broke their gear..poor bulls, still interested in the females, but could not do a thing with them. The vet was actually from America, which was great because I had not met any American vets so it was great to talk to him while he shoved his arm up bull's asses and posed for shots with the bull penises always with a smile on his face LOL...calf marking was still going on and once he was gone I had to go back to it...the sun had just set after the last calf...good timing, but I felt like I was going to die. The cattle men are all smiles...covered in mud, blood and crap...I eventually smile and all the little calves run happily back to mum.
Thursday, mustering another herd in and moving three bulls in to replace broken ones...34 kangaroos spring up and go tearing past the horses which is quite a site. Tea time again LOL...a bit longer this time because Cliff's wife joins us for tea and stories. Catch the horses and then drive off to another location to muster more cattle close to yards...draft all the cows and Ian's wife and little Sophie come join us for a bit. Kate also comes and joins for the fun. Then lunch time and TEA...and then back out to mark :( This time I got to weild the scalpel blade and castrated about 10 calves he he...the cattle men are "what is your boyfriends name" he better watch out now lol...it started to rain though so I figured I would leave the slippery scalpel to the experts and do more next week when it is hopefully dry.
I should introduce you to the players in this madness:
I am staying with the farm manager Ian Mckenzie, his wife Nicole, and there 9 month old daughter Sophie. Michael, Ians retired friend from Narrogin has joined us, and Cliff, Ians other retired friend has joined as well. They have been doing this for almost 30 years Today Kate, who is actually studying human nursing joined us for the fun as well. Tomorrow all of us, including Nicole and little Sophie will be on horse back and we will be moving the cows away from the yard and bringing some closer....NO MARKING because it is Friday and then nothing on the weekend. On Monday, another vet student joins us for the fun.
Ok very tired with these 5 am wake up 6:30 am on horseback days...nighty night
So I have been a bit busy, and after a really hard days work I dont feel much like blogging. Yesterday was soooo tough. Ok, Tuesday...we got the massive mob down to the pen at the cattle yard...then tea time. I have never drank so much tea in my life LOL! There is always time for tea is a great motto. It is a good break as well...good long ride, then boots off, hats off horses set loose for a break, and 30 minutes to an hour of sitting around and talking about everything under the sun. Tea finished, catch horses and back out we go to move another mob...then more tea and load the horses on the trailer (called a float here) and we are off to a location 30 minutes away to muster more cattle close to another yard. Stop at the neighbors...which is very far away for yep, you guessed it more tea and chit chat for an hour or two and then back for dinner and after....more tea and talking. I was told that none of us would be smiling after Wednesday night...and they sure were right.
Wednesday morning...get cows in yard and then draft cows and calves (separate them from each other) tea at 10 :) 11 time to mark 245 calves. This is a long painful process of tearing chunks out of their ears and putting tags in both...and yes, if they are male, castrating them on the spot...in the mud etc. I was on ear torture duty on Wednesday and I felt aweful making them scream like that, and boy could they scream. I fell in the mud, boot got stuck and my foot came out and sock went in the mud, then both hands. This was while trying to scare cattle into next yard. As soon as I fell, they came running right by me, and I thought, soon over me. I decided I would be much more use if they did not need a snorkel to come find me and stay around the edge where it was a bit harder ground. The guys told me they were going to stick a flag on my head so they knew where I was in the herd...ha ha ha, very funny :P
The vet came out to look at three bulls who have been a bit "too busy" lately and broke their gear..poor bulls, still interested in the females, but could not do a thing with them. The vet was actually from America, which was great because I had not met any American vets so it was great to talk to him while he shoved his arm up bull's asses and posed for shots with the bull penises always with a smile on his face LOL...calf marking was still going on and once he was gone I had to go back to it...the sun had just set after the last calf...good timing, but I felt like I was going to die. The cattle men are all smiles...covered in mud, blood and crap...I eventually smile and all the little calves run happily back to mum.
Thursday, mustering another herd in and moving three bulls in to replace broken ones...34 kangaroos spring up and go tearing past the horses which is quite a site. Tea time again LOL...a bit longer this time because Cliff's wife joins us for tea and stories. Catch the horses and then drive off to another location to muster more cattle close to yards...draft all the cows and Ian's wife and little Sophie come join us for a bit. Kate also comes and joins for the fun. Then lunch time and TEA...and then back out to mark :( This time I got to weild the scalpel blade and castrated about 10 calves he he...the cattle men are "what is your boyfriends name" he better watch out now lol...it started to rain though so I figured I would leave the slippery scalpel to the experts and do more next week when it is hopefully dry.
I should introduce you to the players in this madness:
I am staying with the farm manager Ian Mckenzie, his wife Nicole, and there 9 month old daughter Sophie. Michael, Ians retired friend from Narrogin has joined us, and Cliff, Ians other retired friend has joined as well. They have been doing this for almost 30 years Today Kate, who is actually studying human nursing joined us for the fun as well. Tomorrow all of us, including Nicole and little Sophie will be on horse back and we will be moving the cows away from the yard and bringing some closer....NO MARKING because it is Friday and then nothing on the weekend. On Monday, another vet student joins us for the fun.
Ok very tired with these 5 am wake up 6:30 am on horseback days...nighty night
I Am the Woman from Snowy River
Random writings of the goings on at vet school Down Under
All finals are done...woo hoo! I have no idea how I did on any but I hope I at least passed.
Now, I am out in the middle of nowhere and there are no words to describe how sore my ass is LOL!! I just spent the last 5 hours on horseback, and no, this is no little trail ride type horse ride. This is oh shit a bunch of calves have just broken off the mob of 300+ cows you are mustering, Christina, race your horse over there...jumping over creeks...running through tress "duck" the low branches and run as fast as you can to head them off and bring them back.
Wow..I am mustering cattle on horse back in the Outback. It is yet one more thing on my list of things to do before I die that I can cross off. My list is getting so small. There are no words to describe the site of four people on horse back racing through gorges, jumping over logs and catching those straggling calves, and having kangaroos hopping along side as well. Spectacular!! And to be racing right along with them...then have a battle plan of who races where next? Who goes to the top of the hill in the distance to get that lost calf, and who keeps the massive mob going?
I have all the gear...my own authentic Australian Driza Bone jacket that is pure leather and goes all the way to the boots, the hat, the horse...I AM THE WOMAN FROM SNOWY RIVER, I just cant move and I have two weeks of this wich is great...just oh so sore.
So the massive mob we had today was all the way to the last paddock and we were at the gate...the sun was setting and about 1/4 of the mob broke in a run back the wrong way. Two of us stayed behind, racing back and forth to keep the remaining cows there and two took off at full speed across the field. They tried to bring them back but a no go and the sun was setting so we had to close the last fence and get them down to the yards tomorrow.
I will write more after dinner.....
All finals are done...woo hoo! I have no idea how I did on any but I hope I at least passed.
Now, I am out in the middle of nowhere and there are no words to describe how sore my ass is LOL!! I just spent the last 5 hours on horseback, and no, this is no little trail ride type horse ride. This is oh shit a bunch of calves have just broken off the mob of 300+ cows you are mustering, Christina, race your horse over there...jumping over creeks...running through tress "duck" the low branches and run as fast as you can to head them off and bring them back.
Wow..I am mustering cattle on horse back in the Outback. It is yet one more thing on my list of things to do before I die that I can cross off. My list is getting so small. There are no words to describe the site of four people on horse back racing through gorges, jumping over logs and catching those straggling calves, and having kangaroos hopping along side as well. Spectacular!! And to be racing right along with them...then have a battle plan of who races where next? Who goes to the top of the hill in the distance to get that lost calf, and who keeps the massive mob going?
I have all the gear...my own authentic Australian Driza Bone jacket that is pure leather and goes all the way to the boots, the hat, the horse...I AM THE WOMAN FROM SNOWY RIVER, I just cant move and I have two weeks of this wich is great...just oh so sore.
So the massive mob we had today was all the way to the last paddock and we were at the gate...the sun was setting and about 1/4 of the mob broke in a run back the wrong way. Two of us stayed behind, racing back and forth to keep the remaining cows there and two took off at full speed across the field. They tried to bring them back but a no go and the sun was setting so we had to close the last fence and get them down to the yards tomorrow.
I will write more after dinner.....
Thursday, June 7, 2007
3 Down 2 to Go
Random writings of the goings on at vet school Down Under
Ok I have had three finals and I have two left to go. I have no clue what I got on the pathology practical final, I feel ok, but I dont want to jinx myself, on the Pharmacology final. I studied EVERYTHING for that and had a massive panic attack overwhelmed with stress thingy. Sometimes IT DOES get a bit overwhelming. At the last minute, I decided to go over the previous semesters exams, and wouldn't you know it but it was almost like he cut and paste from those exams. All I needed to do was study those and the cardiology notes and I would have been fine. Oh well you never know.
Now I know if I just study the previous exams for Nutrition and Pathology Theory that I will probably get screwed and nothing will be from those. But my battle plan is still going to be this: fingers crossed some stuff will be from old exams...so I will do all of those and study the information that goes with those questions. If I have time after that, like my good friend Courtney says "sit back with a cup of green tea and read the reader and your notes over again, highlight important information and go back and write it down." Well I have read the reader and my notes and highlighted so many times that I have invented a new color...first reading was yellow, then pink, then green, and then blue...oh look all my important information is highlighted in some mauve color LOL!
Today was the farm prac final, and as Steve said, I am having steak for dinner and bacon for breakfast after that one. 10:30 we were assigned a cow each.
1. Age, breed, and condition score the cow please
-hmmmm, breed: well it is mostly black making it an angus cross of some sort but only the face is white kind of like a hereford...I am guessing Angus Hereford cross???? Correct!!! woo hoo
-damn cow wont lift its head for me to stick my hand in and look at the teeth, still trying to lift stuborn cows head....still fighting with it....smashed hand...wonder if I should use the evil nose pliers, nope I think I will try just using my fingers instead. Head flys up, almost sends me flying...full set of teeth, look sort of new...I am saying 31/2 -4 years??? Correct!!!!
-Not too fat, not too skinny A score of 2 1/2 -3 Correct!!!!
2. Apply a mouth gag please
- Wrestle cow for a bit...thrown around a bit...does not want giant metal thing in mouth, finally get it
3. Please insert giant metal rod into mouth and then shove tube into stomach of unhappy cow
-lots more wrestling, very unhappy cow, succeed in getting it into stomach and back severely hurting now
4. Apply rope and restrain front leg
5. Apply v-sling rope you must make from one peice of rope to back leg
6. Give heart rate, respiratory rate and temp of adult cow (I think I botched that up)
7. Tell every intricate detail you know about the correct sites of IM injection...SQ and IV
Next at 11:00 was the terrible, horrible, evil pigs
I got lucky for the first time ever...my partner not so much...she got assigned Pig #2 and these pigs have been poked and prodded for the entire semester + they are 90kilos easy = one very smart, very unhappy, very LARGE beast at the end of the rope.
Must catch pig by nose with noose of rope and tie WITH CORRECT KNOT to the fence...pig knows what is going on, pig even once caught rears into air and smashes me and my partner...this is her pig and she has to catch, and tie and draw blood from the ear vein...many tries, my hand is smashed and bruised...pig so bad we have to give up and it is my turn :(
Pig #5 please be good...he only took three tries...hit the ear vein first shot I love you #5 pig
Back to devil pig #2...metal snare time...many more tries to catch and tie pig...both of us covered in blood and who knows what else...finally she gets blood from screaming pig...we are both smashed up
What??? Temp and IM injection time...turn around and #5 is laying down...I love you #5...jab needle into neck...pig does not move...shove thermometer in bum...pig looks at me, but does not move HOW LUCKY IS THAT...everyone else trying to hit running targets
So I am bruised, covered in blood, and "smell worse than the Cats litter box" says my roommate when I get home...BUT I PASSED!!!!
Now time to go to work...what work...I can barely move, I need a back massage...oh the pain and now 6 hours on my feet feeding drinks to the locals...oh gooody!!!
Ok I have had three finals and I have two left to go. I have no clue what I got on the pathology practical final, I feel ok, but I dont want to jinx myself, on the Pharmacology final. I studied EVERYTHING for that and had a massive panic attack overwhelmed with stress thingy. Sometimes IT DOES get a bit overwhelming. At the last minute, I decided to go over the previous semesters exams, and wouldn't you know it but it was almost like he cut and paste from those exams. All I needed to do was study those and the cardiology notes and I would have been fine. Oh well you never know.
Now I know if I just study the previous exams for Nutrition and Pathology Theory that I will probably get screwed and nothing will be from those. But my battle plan is still going to be this: fingers crossed some stuff will be from old exams...so I will do all of those and study the information that goes with those questions. If I have time after that, like my good friend Courtney says "sit back with a cup of green tea and read the reader and your notes over again, highlight important information and go back and write it down." Well I have read the reader and my notes and highlighted so many times that I have invented a new color...first reading was yellow, then pink, then green, and then blue...oh look all my important information is highlighted in some mauve color LOL!
Today was the farm prac final, and as Steve said, I am having steak for dinner and bacon for breakfast after that one. 10:30 we were assigned a cow each.
1. Age, breed, and condition score the cow please
-hmmmm, breed: well it is mostly black making it an angus cross of some sort but only the face is white kind of like a hereford...I am guessing Angus Hereford cross???? Correct!!! woo hoo
-damn cow wont lift its head for me to stick my hand in and look at the teeth, still trying to lift stuborn cows head....still fighting with it....smashed hand...wonder if I should use the evil nose pliers, nope I think I will try just using my fingers instead. Head flys up, almost sends me flying...full set of teeth, look sort of new...I am saying 31/2 -4 years??? Correct!!!!
-Not too fat, not too skinny A score of 2 1/2 -3 Correct!!!!
2. Apply a mouth gag please
- Wrestle cow for a bit...thrown around a bit...does not want giant metal thing in mouth, finally get it
3. Please insert giant metal rod into mouth and then shove tube into stomach of unhappy cow
-lots more wrestling, very unhappy cow, succeed in getting it into stomach and back severely hurting now
4. Apply rope and restrain front leg
5. Apply v-sling rope you must make from one peice of rope to back leg
6. Give heart rate, respiratory rate and temp of adult cow (I think I botched that up)
7. Tell every intricate detail you know about the correct sites of IM injection...SQ and IV
Next at 11:00 was the terrible, horrible, evil pigs
I got lucky for the first time ever...my partner not so much...she got assigned Pig #2 and these pigs have been poked and prodded for the entire semester + they are 90kilos easy = one very smart, very unhappy, very LARGE beast at the end of the rope.
Must catch pig by nose with noose of rope and tie WITH CORRECT KNOT to the fence...pig knows what is going on, pig even once caught rears into air and smashes me and my partner...this is her pig and she has to catch, and tie and draw blood from the ear vein...many tries, my hand is smashed and bruised...pig so bad we have to give up and it is my turn :(
Pig #5 please be good...he only took three tries...hit the ear vein first shot I love you #5 pig
Back to devil pig #2...metal snare time...many more tries to catch and tie pig...both of us covered in blood and who knows what else...finally she gets blood from screaming pig...we are both smashed up
What??? Temp and IM injection time...turn around and #5 is laying down...I love you #5...jab needle into neck...pig does not move...shove thermometer in bum...pig looks at me, but does not move HOW LUCKY IS THAT...everyone else trying to hit running targets
So I am bruised, covered in blood, and "smell worse than the Cats litter box" says my roommate when I get home...BUT I PASSED!!!!
Now time to go to work...what work...I can barely move, I need a back massage...oh the pain and now 6 hours on my feet feeding drinks to the locals...oh gooody!!!
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