Pigs

Exciting week as the first Certificate III gilt was weaned and artificially inseminated. “Athena” belongs to Jacob Pate who has been monitoring and recording her progress throughout pregnancy, farrowing, and now mating.

The first load of pigs for the year have headed off to Linley Valley, with many to follow in the coming weeks. Our brand-new pregnancy scanner is on the way and will be ready for students to utilise at the beginning of Term 2. As the weather starts to cool down, we are prioritising our vaccination programs to ensure pigs are in top condition and health leading into winter.

Miss Read and Miss Davenport

Cattle

Miss Baker is having fun working with the cows and the students. We are in the process of paddock rotations and keeping feed up to the pregnant cows and heifers.

Certificate III students completed a practical component for their medication competency - all completing numerous applications of Ultravac and Multi-min across the two pregnant herds. It was a good chance for Miss Baker to get to know the animals and the students a lot better. It seems young ‘Blue’ wasn’t impressed, as this was her reaction when students went to do more post-treatment checks this week!

Eight students will be heading down to Albany next week to compete in the annual Gate2Plate School Challenge! Good luck to the team. We have been lucky enough to be given a team of steers so that we could also compete in the feedlot competition. Hopefully the Cunderdin students will be able to have a good look at these fellas and see how they’ve grown from the initial photos we were given at feedlot induction. Many thanks to the Gate2Plate committee for providing us with the opportunity to be able to be part of the feedlot competition.

Mrs Iles and Miss Baker

Workshop

Mr Ball has been continuing with licensing for our Year 11’s and also completing maintenance and repairs on some of our equipment, including the ute-mounted sprayer.

Mr Ball

Sheep

It’s still busy in the sheep enterprise. We can finally see the end of the main shearing, with only a handful left. With the Year 11s getting more confident with the handpiece and the Year 12s getting closer to the end of Certificate III in Advanced Wool Handling, we have the last few wether lambs to shear before a well-deserved rest for our students.

Miss Martini and Mr Laird

General

As always, it’s been here, there and everywhere for the General Farm groups.

Mr Jones and Mr West have been doing everything from driving tests to moving machinery, concreting to raking leaves.

Mr Jones and Mr West

Butcher shop

This week saw the Year 12 feed trial lambs slaughtered to be inspected by students to measure fat depth, eye muscle and yield percentage. Two Year 11 groups were under the expert guidance of the Mr Jones’s (Garry and Lindsay) as they learned to skin and gut the lambs. There were a few weak stomachs, but overall, the vibe was one of interest and wanting to learn. Great work everyone!

Mr Jones and Mr Jones

Grains

It's hard to believe that this is the last Chatter for the term and the cropping enterprise is busy getting ready for seeding. The Year 11s were busy fixing the small John Shearer combine today so we can start putting in some cover crops in our pasture paddocks.

Just a reminder to all students that if you are interested in seeding, please put your name on the list in the Farm workshop, and a reminder to all Certificate III students, to start the knowledge questions for the seeding comp during the holidays. If you are completing work over the holidays, get your cameras going and film some evidence towards your units. Third party reports also need to be filled in by the person supervising you at work. Thank you for Mr Lindsay Jones for doing a magnificent job helping out while Mr Kelly is on long service leave. Hope everyone enjoys a safe and wonderful holiday.

Mr de Beer

The farm staff would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and we hope to see all the students back after the holidays refreshed and ready to learn.

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Ms Yvonne Bopp

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