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Working shifts on lamb watch, students take ewe-turns
at birthing time
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By
Amanda Wouden
MARCH 4, 2005 | LOGAN -- Wearing
coveralls, doing farm chores and sleeping in a
barn have become familiar requirements for Utah
State University freshman Chad Fuller. Fuller
is among about 20 students who take turns keeping
watch over USU's sheep during class and every
night, from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. during lambing
season. Fuller's turn comes up once or twice each
month.
"The worst thing about it is the lack of
sleep," he said, "and if you have early
classes the next day, it kind of wears you out."
Students are expected to complete a list of chores
including herding pregnant sheep into the barn,
feeding and examining them and cleaning out their
pens. Students check on the mothers every two
hours. But it isn't all hard work, according to
teaching assistant Shannon Kincaid.
"It's really easy," she said. "You
just come out here and eat pizza, watch movies
and make sure that the lambs are OK." |
THERE YA GO, LITTLE ONE:
Chad Fuller performs part
of the
clip, dip and strip while on lamb watch. /
Photo by Amanda Wouden |
Students learn about behavioral signs
of problem pregnancies -- such as sheep separating themselves
from the herd, Kincaid said. Student are taught when
and how to assist.
"We make sure everything goes smoothly,"
said freshman Heidi Simper. "We only intervene
if we have to."
Students help with problem births by pulling out newborns
from their mothers. All lambs are "clipped, dipped
and stripped," said Simper. That means the students
cut the umbilical cord, douse the wound with iodine
and milk the udders. All lambs are also weighed.
Student do lamb watches from February through April
during the lambing season. Cache Valley's winters can
be harsh, but students on the lamb watch are comfortably
situated inside the barn, about seven miles south of
Logan, near Sardine Canyon.
In one corner of the barn is a one-bedroom apartment
with a kitchen, bathroom, space heaters and a color
television set. McDonald's hamburger wrappers, a bag
of Cheetos, giant soda-pop drinks and granola bars lined
the kitchen counter.
"It is kind of like the dorms, just smaller,"
Fuller said. "You bring your own sheets or sleeping
bag. There is a desk so you can do your homework if
you need to."
He remembered homework sessions, but also a night where
he stayed up playing X-box. Other favorite pastimes
are DVDs, board games and cell-phone chats.
"I don't know if I will ever use it," Fuller
said of the sheep production class, "but I definitely
have gained a respect for the ag industry."
MS
MS |
