Piggery

It's been a very hot summer and our pigs, like most people, are over it! Despite the heat, production has been moving along smoothly with some impressive piglet weights and lots of sows mated naturally and artificially inseminated.

The Certificate III students have started their main theory component and the gilts they selected last year, are getting very close to farrowing. In the coming months, students will help select some new replacement gilts and start working with our 2 young boars. There has been a bit of a gap in pigs going to Linley Valleys, as most of them went before Christmas as 40kg spit pigs. We're expecting loads to start again in the coming weeks. We've been busy planning the Pork camp for Certificate III students, due to run in May this year over 3 days, with some exciting opportunities being planned.

Big congratulations to Phoebe Kindred for winning a ticket to the Agrifutures EvokeAg conference in Perth. Phoebe wrote an application about her passion for agriculture and was selected as the winner!

Miss Read and Miss Davenport

Sheep

It’s been a busy start to Term1 for the sheep enterprise. Our A.I. and E.T programs gave us good results, with 63 embryos out of 8 donor Poll Dorset ewes. The shearing shed is also buzzing again with students, sheep and wool. The Year 11s just approaching for the first time the hand piece and wool table, while the Year 12s are getting more knowledge going through their Certificate II in Shearing and Wool Handling, and Certificate III in Advanced Wool Handling through TAFE. So far, the students have shorn about 600 ewes, of mixed age, and helped with pregnancy testing most of them.

Term 1 also means shows – with Darkan Sheepfest being the first show of the year, followed by Wagin Woolorama. This year, 5 students took part in the competitions at the Darkan Sheepfest (shearing, wool handling and judging) with great results, plenty of fun and room for improvement. Next focus point is the Wagin Woolorama, preparing and choosing the sheep and wool to take to the show, training for wool and sheep judging and shearing and wool handling.

A very busy term indeed.

Mr Laird and Miss Martini

Cattle

The cows have been plodding along nicely and giving students some experience in Providing Feed for Livestock and Operating Tractors, with hay being fed out a couple of times a week. Pregnancy testing was undertaken in January, and we are expecting 30 of our lovely girls to be giving birth between May and July this year. Certificate III students completing the livestock medication units will soon have the opportunity to hone their vaccinating skills, with annual boosters for the cattle due in the next few weeks. Not only does this give students the opportunity to administer the medications themselves but allows us to discuss animal health control programs and local diseases, and illnesses that affect cattle.

Our new heifers from WACoA – Harvey are going great and have all been confirmed PTIC (pregnancy tested in calf)! Thank you to the staff at Harvey for supplying these beautiful girls and having them covered by one of their new bulls.

Next, we will be weaning, off-loading weaner steers and empty cows, and preparing our breeding mobs for calving. Fun times ahead!

Mrs Iles

Grains

The year has certainly started hot and dry which means less spraying, but we still must spread our Lime and Gypsum before seeding starts. Unfortunately, we had some issues with the spreader, but with Mr West’s help and a few eager Year 11 students, it is ready to go!

The good news is our new seeder bar has arrived at the dealership and it should be at the College within the next week.

As it has been said already multiple times, it is important for our Certificate III students to keep up to date with their paperwork.

Mr de Beer and Mr Kelly

Farm Workshop

Currently students have been doing a refurb on an old pallet lifter. So far, the machine has been stripped down, reassembled and parts replaced. We are currently waiting on parts for the hydraulic control.

Mr Ball

General

Mr Jones and Mr West have been busy doing driving assessments with year 11s and some machinery maintenance with year 12s.

Mr Jones and Mr West

Lastly, all the farm staff would like to wish Mrs Corsini and her husband Kane all the best for their upcoming adventure of parenthood! We are so excited for you both and hope the little one arrives safely.

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