Like I said in my "about me", my blog will include some of my experience farming. If you have a weak stomach you may not want to look at this blog post. Tabbethia teaches a class for Laguardia College at Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm in Suffolk County. The class is a vet tech program. Tabbethia helps out with the large farm animal section. Two Saturday's ago, I didn't wake up thinking I would be doing what I did that day but that's all part of the job I guess. Tabbethia asked me if I would like to join the class. She would be doing a shearing (which I never find old to watch) and they were doing something with cows. Oh and she got me there because she said there would be baby chickens and triplet baby goats, my weakness is baby animals!
When I showed up, there were three female cows. The class was shown how to administrate shots and how to put medication into a cow using a stomach tube. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into until the large gloves and huge bottle of lube came out. Now if anyone knows Tabbethia they know that she would get a great kick out of making me do what I did next!!
This is a palpation of a cow rectum. I know you are going to say why would anyone ever want to do that? Well this is why:
Uses of Rectal Palpation
1) artificial insemination
2) non-surgical recovery of embryos for subsequent embryo transfer
3) pregnancy diagnosis
4) postpartum reproductive exam to determine suitability of the animal for breeding and to estimate whether the cow is cyclic.
5) clinical diagnosis of cystic ovarian disease and uterine infections.
One of the cows was pregnant and I was able to feel the calf though the rectal wall. I didn't get to examine her but the students that did said it was amazing and they could feel features like the face and nostrils off the baby calf.
Who would of thought, an FIT grad doing a palpation? You never really know where your life will turn but I say just go with it!
