ULTIMATE BLOG POST CLINTRON

In Animal Science this year, we focused on the year round responsibilities of the Homewind's farm. There many different ways to care for each of the animals on the farm and we used this course to learn how much goes in to taking care of the farm. We dealt with serious health issues involving the animals and had to listen very carefully to the guidance of Mr. Rabel. It was such a fulfilling course that allowed for us all to have a fun time getting work done. With a decently large class involved each day at the farm (Thursday and Friday), most of us were able to observe each other completing each task and learn so that we can apply our newfound knowledge on another day. We are so grateful for the experience and wish that we were Freshman so that we could immerse ourselves for three more years.

The ULTIMATE BLOG POST

This year in Animal Science, Ava fell in the mud and sheared her first sheep. She also ear tagged the kids and lambs. We picked the leftover apples for the animals in the fall and helped out with the bees before they mysteriously disappeared. Erin was one with the donkeys, her and Ava's favorite animals on the farm. She also got pecked by the chickens while testing their reflexes, something Ava and Julia were afraid to do. Julia was a big fan of Phillip, despite his pungent odor, and loved the cows. Kerry's favorite aspect of the farm was Rory the border collie. Rory is a newer addition, and she is learning to herd the animals. We go to the farm twice a week to work with the animals and help out with the farm. The rest of the week we learn about many aspects of farming and animals, including nutrition, reproduction, their digestive systems and genetics. Overall, this was one of our favorite classes, and we strongly recommend it.

Janie, the New Kid

On the morning April 26th, Astele gave birth to a new kid, Janie. Astele was born in March of 2017 by Phil. Janie is a third generation goat. The kid was significantly small. The farm has been an amazing experience and we are all glad that we were able to experience farm life and animal life. However, there has been a significant amount of weather change, which made it difficult to accomplish our tasks at the farm. This exposed all of us to the harsh reality of farm life and the responsibilities that Mr. Rabel has to endure. As seniors, it was an incredible experience and it will be hard to leave our farm family.

Review Of Animal Science

Animal science was such a great experience! We learned so much about animals and their behaviors which was very interesting. Although it was filled with fun and learning there were some negatives such as the weather that impacted our farm visits. We also did not have a chance to build something for the farm due to the weather. There were so many animals at the farm and there were many births this year. Some of the highlights of the year was smashing pumpkins for the goats and cows, watching a vet removed a cyst from a cow eye, shearing the sheep, and giving injections to ensure that the animals stay healthy. We will remember our time at the farm and all the learning experiences we have immersed ourselves in.

April The Baby Lamb

On April 16th, one of the sheep gave birth to a baby lamb, which we named April. On Friday of that week, we went to the farm and visited her. During our visit, we docked her tail. During a lamb birth, there is a number of events that occur within the process. When the ewe is in labor, the mother will usually lay on her side. Eventually, a water bag will appear and break, then the tip of the nose and feet of the lamb is visible. Towards the end, the ewe will also give birth to the placenta. The placenta usually comes out of the ewe 30 to

60 minutes after the birth of the lamb. Usually, the ewe will eat the placenta because her instincts tell her to hide the evidence that her lamb was born to protect it from predators.

20 April 2018
On this day we saw a ewe with her horns stuck in the fence. We lifted her body on one side of the fence and pushed her horns through the other side. It took about five strenuous minutes but we eventually were able to free her.

Chicks!

Thursday, April 12, 2018

The GSB middle school is raising chicks, which are staying at Home Winds. We might or might not keep all of them, depending on the gender. The farm can only have three roosters, and we currently have one, so we can only keep two male chicks. However, there is no limit to how many female chicks we can keep. We won't be able to tell the genders of the chicks until they are four or five months old. Even though the chicks are all the same breed, there are differences in color; most are yellow, but sometimes they are grayish-brown.

The chicks from 2014

This year's chicks

Fencing

On April 20, 2018 we created a fence in the cow area. This fence would act as an easier way to isolate a single Cow at a time so that treatments and procedures would be easier on the farmer. We tied the metal fences together with twine and adhered them to a post. The fence has one opening for the cows to enter and the farm dog, Rory, herds the cow into the secluded area.

Bottle-Feeding Lambs

In the last week of February, Riley, the baby lamb was born. His mother rejected him and he was not able to be fed by her. Many breeders would not take care of the rejected lamb. However, Mr. Rabel was able to bottle-feed Riley. However, Riley is significantly smaller than the rest of the baby lambs. This is because she is not getting all of the nutrients that are available in utter milk. There are reasons to reject the lamb. The lamb does not have a mother to connect to. The reason why the ewe rejected its baby is because sheep generally connect their birth pain with their babies. The birth of Riley was painful and thus, she connected her pain with Riley. Another reason why the ewe could have rejected the baby is because of the sharp teeth that they may have, which can cause pain to the utters. When lambs are first born, it is important that they consume colostrum within the first twenty-four hours. Colostrum contains nutrients that protect the lamb from catching any diseases. Colostrum is in ewe's milk. Thus, it was hard for Riley to collect that nutrient. However, there is artificial colostrum. It is important for the caretaker to bottle-feed the lamb for at least two months. Even though Riley is significantly smaller than the rest, he is getting enough nutrients. 

Sheep Shearing

Spring has come which means the sheep are getting a haircut! Last Friday, we sheared the sheep by first flipping it and then using an electric razor to get rid of the wool. The wool will be sent to a processing place where it will be spun into wool products. Shearing is done in the spring so the sheep do not overheat in the sun. A long fleece is also likely to become dirty and get dragged along the ground, which may result in flystrike. Flystrike is when green bottle flies lay their eggs on the animal, and the eggs hatch within hours. These eggs turn into maggots and eat the flesh of the sheep and release dangerous toxins. Without fleece, the sheep will have more mobility. In hot weather when the sheep have more fleece they will have heat stress.

A New Calf!

A new bull calf was born unexpectedly on Easter. Usually, calves are born in the fall, but this one is special because its mother was bred by her son from the fall of 2017. This happened because he was not weaned and/or castrated soon enough. Inbreeding is quite common in farmed cows, and some farmers even intentionally inbreed their cows. He was around 60 pounds when he was born, a little on the small side -- calves are usually 70-80 pounds when they are born. However, he has no noticeable disabilities or deformities from being the product of inbreeding. Generally, with the lack of genetic diversity, due to being inbred, the offspring have various health issues.

Scrapies

The Destruction of Scrapies

Scrapies, a serious and sometimes fatal degenerative disease attacks the central nervous system of sheeps and goats. First discovered in sheep in Western Europe 250 years ago, the disease wipes out masses of sheep and goat on farms as the disease is fatal after the animal is identified and incubating the disease genetically and after when the disease takes over, the goat or sheep perish. If a goat or sheep in the flock is identified at an early stage, the goat or sheep must be quarantined and cut off from transmitting the disease to others within the flock and must not breed with those who are not infected. Today, the National Scrapie Eradication Program tirelessly battles against the harmful effects of scrapies and today is working hard in order to find a more efficient way to identify scrapies at an early stage and eradicate the disease for good. 

Baby Animals

In the month of March 2018, baby goats and lambs were born. One baby lamb was rejected from their mother, so now we have to bottle feed her. Rejecting their lamb means the mother will not feed their child. To get rejected the lamb lacks the familiar odor that the mother is looking for. The baby could also be rejected if the mother does not have an adequate milk supply. The baby goats and lambs got ear tags and tails docked and they are living life to its fullest.

Docking

On March 29th, we went to the farm and began tail docking the lambs. It has many benefits which improve the health of lambs. Feces can collect on the tail. This bacteria can attract female flies and they lay eggs. Bacterial infections can occur as a result on the lamb's backend. It can be extremely painful for the sheep. Thus, tail docking minimizes the risk of obtaining these bacterial infections, which improves the overall safety of the sheep. Docking involves either rubber rings using a elastrator, a hot iron cautery, an emasculator, or removal with a knife. At the farm, we used the elastrator, which uses a rubber band to wrap around the tail. This prevents blood flow so the tail just falls off. They do experience minor pain for the first 10-20 minutes but then the tail goes numb. It is important to put the rubber band right below where the tail covers the backend at either of the three palpable joints. It should cover the vulva. Tail docking should take place six weeks after birth. It is important to dock the lambs to prevent bacterial infections.

Ear Tags

Ear Tags

We applied two different types of tags to the lamb and the the kids. One was an identification tag and the other was a Scrapies tag. The point of a Scrapies tag is when the specific animal is tested positive for Scrapies, then they can track the animal back to the originating farm in order to prevent outbreak. The identification tag tells the birthdate and how the farmer can locate other information about that animal. For the application of the identification tag, we take two parts of the ear tags and place them in the ear tag applicator. Then, being careful to avoid the arteries in the ears, you squeeze the handle until you hear the click, indicating that the tag has been properly inserted.

Hoof Trimming

On February 8, 2018 our class trimmed all of the goats hooves. We trimmed the hooves so they do not get overgrown. If they are overgrown, the animal is in pain and may lose an interest in eating and exercising. This is very bad for the health of the goat. They must be checked on a regular basis. 

Diagnosis of Worms in Goats

About 85% of the health related issues with goats revolves around worms. Goats are very prone to worms and will die if the deworming process is not completed. Some visible symptoms of goats having worms are sluggishness, loss of appetite and diarrhea. Worms invade the body and consume red blood cells, wound tissue, and excrete cancer-causing waste. The treatment process is as follows:
1. Use a chemical wormer to worm your goats.
2. To restore the natural balance to the digestive tract, provide a course of probiotics.
3. Begin giving an iron supplement to rebuild the red blood cell count.
4. Give 1 10cc sub-q injection of Bovi-Sera and Goat Serum. This will help strengthen the goat's compromised immune system.

Sheep Flipping

On Friday February 9th, we went to the farm and flipped the sheep. We did this because in March the sheep will be flipped for shearing. Once you flip the sheep, the sheep go into a trance and they are quite peaceful. This allows for more control. The wool of sheep can be used for clothing and accessories. It is important to shear the sheep because it is cleaner and prevents diseases from insects. Also, it is important to shear the sheep because they can go blind if the wool grows too long. To flip the sheep you put your left hand on the left horn and turn its head towards its stomach. Then, you take your right hand and put it under the sheep's stomach and pull the sheep up and back. While the sheep is flipped, you can trim the hooves, check for anemia in the eyes, and checking the teeth. However, it is most common to shear the sheep in this position.

We destroyed the chicken tractor using hammers, drills, crowbars and elbow grease. Some parts were more challenging than others for example the chicken wire was far easier to remove than the boards that supported the structure. The entire class had fun destroying something the previous class had worked hard in building. It was a great team building exercise and we used Rory to herd the animals away. This is how we proved we are the best animal science class.

Cleaning the coop

On January 19, 2018, we went to the chicken coops to clean one of the stalls. The stalls were getting ready for five valuable chickens to mate with a hen.We cleaned the coop because a build-up of droppings will cause a build-up of ammonia. The ammonia can damage the hen's respiratory system and his eyes.  We had to rake and take out all of the old wood shavings and put in new wood shavings to provide the chickens with a clean mating area. We filled the coop with wood shavings because it keeps the coop smelling fresh.  Once the chickens and hen get situated they may begin to mate immediately.

Selection of Chickens for Breeding

Friday, January 19, 2018

On Friday, we selected hens for breeding with the rooster. While selecting the hens, we looked for specific characteristics that would complement the rooster's traits. One trait we desired was fast molting, shown by the wing feathers being the same length. We wanted this so that their feathers would grow in time for the winter. We also wanted them to have the same number of digits on their feet because it's more desirable. In addition, we looked for a hen with a small comb and wattle because the rooster has a large comb. The disadvantage of having a large comb is an increased risk of frostbite. Lastly, we wanted the hens to have a wide, moist cloaca, to make sure they were already laying eggs and to enable a safe and easy passage of the egg. To make sure the selected hens were in good health, we made sure their feathers were even and had a smooth sheen over them. We also wanted them to be plump, but not overweight.

Cold Weather Requirements for Animals

It is important to manage farm animals' water, feed, and body condition during the winter. Water should be more available because snow does not count as a water replenishment. Goats should consume around three gallons of water a day and cattle should consume around fourteen gallons. Snow and ice can lower body temperatures for farm animals so it is important that water is available at all times. Tank heaters may be needed if water will freeze because of the temperature. Nutritional requirements also increase during the cold weather. Energy from hay can be used to develop a thick coat for the winter. If hay is not available, grains are acceptable. It is important to do multiple body assessments during the winter because the heavy winter coat can hide any sort of skin abnormalities. It is also important to check the hooves in case of any thrush or white line disease. The mud and wetness increases the likelihood of animals obtaining a hoof fungus. Also, it is important to get the animals' hooves trimmed regularly. Lastly, it is essential that animals remain active even though it is cold outside.

Measuring the Weight of Cows 1/18

         On January 18th, we weighed the cows at home winds. Most people would use a scale for measuring weight for humans, but in our case we used a tape measure for the cattle. Using a tape measure is both less expensive and as accurate as a scale. It's also less of a hassle because you would have to physically move the animal and make sure it stayed in place in order to weight the huge animal. When measuring a cow you have to wrap the tape around right behind the two front legs. The only major issue using a measuring tape is human error. This is why we have to average out multiple measurements (usually we measure it twice). The main weight in a cow is in the torso, But when measuring a animal theres always a possibility of getting hurt usually the animal will kick behind them as a instinctive reaction, so make sure they see you and pet them before you measure.