By Jacinta Kelly

About Me

Hi!

My name is Jacinta.

Becoming a Vet has been a life-long goal of mine.

Gaining entry into Veterinary Science has given me the opportunity to take one

more step towards reaching my goal.

In 2008 I moved to Wagga Wagga to begin my studies

in Veterinary Science at Charles Sturt University

Picture sourced from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/CSUWaggaEntrance.jpg/270px-CSUWaggaEntrance.jpg

That’s me

Studying vet science for two years has taught me more then I ever expected.

The role of a vet in practice is greater then just treating and caring for sick animals. Vets can be involved in a variety of fields that cover the whole production system.

My studies include aspects of agriculture as well as the traditional veterinary science subjects such as anatomy and physiology. Linking these together is the AHEMS program.

AHEMS gives me the opportunity to gain hands on experience in a variety of live-stock industries.

I learn:To apply knowledge learnt in class To gain knowledge about the role vets play in various industries.To communicate with others in the community. To practice and learn new skills in animal handling and disease prevention.About new innovative techniques being developed and utilised in industries.To recognise the importance of environmental and economic factors in agriculture.

None ‘tasting’ better then the fresh salmon I was offered

whilst working at Huon Aquaculture in Tasmania.... Appropriately nicknamed

“Sammy”

HAC farms primarily Atlantic Salmon.Whilst at HAC I was able to work with the following teams:-Health team- Industry vet- Research team-Dive team-Nutrition team

Each team, although working separately, are inevitably interconnected. This ensures an efficient production system capable of meeting the salmon’s health, nutritional and welfare needs.

I also learnt valuable skills including:-Monitoring dissolved oxygen levels.-Monitoring feed dispersals and intake to ensure nutritional requirements are met. This is important as over feeding leads to net fouling and increases economic waste.-Monitoring disease levels and preventing foreign disease entry into Australia.

Fishy Facts:

“Salmon begin life in fresh water as „fry‟ before acclimatising to salt

water by undergoing a physiological change. The brackish water

(mixture of fresh and salt water)of the Huon River is ideal for this.”

“Fully developed Salmon are treated for diseases such as amoebic gill

disease (AGD) by giving them a fresh water bath”

I completed my poultry AHEMS at one of Red Lea’s Parent flocks.

The purpose of a parent flock is to rear breeders and supply eggs for broiler production.

Broiler’s supply the market with ‘chicken meat.’

Red Lea’s Menangle property is an all-in all-out system.

This is beneficial for biosecurity purposes.

At the end of the production cycle, all saw dust and the manure contained within it is removed from the shed and recycled as fertiliser.

Chicken manure is commonly used to improve pastures as it is high in organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Chicken facts: -Egg fertility can be determined by shinning a light on top of the egg. Fertile eggs possess an air sac and prominent vein system. Infertile eggs are clear.

- Chicks are vaccinated ‘in ovo,’ that is, a single needle punctures the egg shell and injects the unhatched chick.

Clover Hill Dairies consists of two properties located in Jamberoo, NSW. Here I was involved in the day to day running of a dairy including:• Mixing the ration• Feeding and tendering to the calves• Rounding up the cows• Milking•Detecting and treating lameness and mastitis

I was also able to attend the ‘Poo Tour 08’ which visited a selection of dairies on the South Coast to review their effluent systems. Discussions focused on the ease, cost and effectiveness of different effluent systems at cleaning dairies and recycling the water used.

Clover Hill was featured in the tour showcasing the array of sustainable practices they are involved in. Upgrading infrastructure, developing stock and machinery access routes, fencing off native vegetation and water ways and replanting vegetation are part of their long term plan to reduce the properties impact on the environment and improve the wellbeing of the cattle.

Furthermore, I learnt while at Clover Hill the importance of not only

improving your own system, but also sharing the knowledge gained with the

wider community to benefit all.

Dairy fact “Individual cows are capable of producing 80 litres of milk per

day”

At Lindsay Park I was able to experience first hand the processes involved in breeding and training race horses.

I was able to spend time with the farriers, saddler, riders, stable hand, vet nurses, vets and trainers, enabling me to acknowledge and appreciate the role each has in ensuring the safety, health and welfare of the horses.

Two of my fondest memories included:watching a barrier trial held on one of the properties three tracks seeing my first foaling after four attempts at night watch!

Horse Facts:

Horses are lead into the surgery before being anesthetised and knocked down onto purposely built operating tables.

Foot and leg abnormalities can be treated at a young age using corrective shoeing

Horses can be trained on specially built treadmills

Corrective shoeing

Surgery RoomHorse Treadmill

....And I hope I picked up a few ‘tips’ along the way!!!!

PIC at Grong Grong runs a nucleus herd of pigs, producing both genetically improved sows and boars.

At the time of my prac, trials were being undertaken to breed pigs negative to the recessive halothane gene – a gene that has been linked to Porcine stress syndrome. Presence of this gene results in multi-factorial economical losses .

Biosecurity is very important for PIC. The property runs on a shower-in shower-out routine; clothing and foot wear is provided and contact with other pigs is prohibited within 72-96 hours of working with PIC stock.

The importance of biosecurity has been shown by the recent Equine and Swine influenza out-breaks.

Water is recycled at the property. All excrement is flushed out of the sheds and left to settle in large dams, allowing the water to be re-used.

Carcases and soiled straw are also recycled by a local company who turns it into soil.

I loved spending time in the farrowing shed where the piglets are born, but boy do they have a good set of lungs!

Piggy facts:• Sows have a gestation period of three months, three weeks and three days!•Pigs are one of the smartest domesticated animals.

Thugga is a mixed sheep, cattle and cropping property, owned and managed by the Pitsonfamily.

Being a mixed enterprise makes the business economically advantageous for a variety of reasons. Cattle tend to eat different grasses to sheep and therefore pasture availability can be optimised by rotationally grazing the different livestock species. Such diversity also makes the operation flexible to market changes.

Recent government grants have funded projects to fence off the local creek and plant vegetation belts. Further work is planned in the future to increase vegetation in other areas of the property. Vegetation is important as it provides shade, protection from the wind and lowers the water table.

During my time spent with the Pitson’s, I was able to visit a Limousin cattle sale and observe muscle scanning of bulls. Genetic evaluation and the use of estimated breeding value’s (EBV) is common in the beef industry. This allows farmers to produce cattle destined for specific markets.

Cattle fact:•Cows have microbial populations living in their stomach that aid in the digestion of food.

As you can see, Its not all hard

work!

Social Implications

Communication is essential and is an integral part of my course.

To be able to talk to producers about their product aids in identifying potential areas of improvement and is an efficient means of identifying problems.

Communication tutorials have given me the skills to be able to consult with members of the community.

And a little ‘socialising’ is always fun, to practice the skills learnt of course! We even dress like

animals............. ‘J’ is for Jellyfish!

Environmental Implications

AHEMS has taught me the importance of utilising and developing sustainable practices as the key for future success.

Each of the companies I was fortunate to work with are continuously working to improve their production system with respect to the environment.

This is achieved through continual research, improving technology, recycling waste and fencing off important parts of each property.

Each are an example of how such practices can reduce costs, minimise impact on the environment and improve animal welfare.

Economic Implications

The aim of production is to increase profits by optimising the quality and quantity of the product and decreasing the cost of production.

I have learnt how the product can be improved by:- Upgrading pastures and/or feeding quality concentrate- Selecting genetically superior livestock for breeding I have also learnt how costs can be decreased by:- Preventing disease and treating illness early- Refining the production cycle- Reducing labour cost through efficient system designs

I have also seen first hand the importance of benchmarking current performance and setting future goals and objectives.

There is always someone looking out to guide me as I learn

And it’s always reassuring to know.....

Studying Veterinary Science has given me experiences and has taught me skills I never thought I’d otherwise have the opportunity to do.

It has allowed me to meet new people, both at university and on pracs, who have shown me and broadened my understanding about the role vets play in livestock production both socially, environmentally and economically.

I hope that the skills and knowledge I have gained will help me in the future in advising others about how they can improve their product.

All pictures (excluding slide 3) have been sourced from my personal collection.

I thank the following properties for the opportunity to complete my AHEMS with them:

- Huon Aquaculture Company

- Red Lea, Menangle

- Clover Hill Dairies

- Pig Improvement Company

- Lindsay Park Racing

- The Pitson Family

GOLD SILVERPLATINUM

BRONZE MEDIA SPONSOR