Day 1

My first day went something like this:

0900: Arrived at vet school at office of supervisor. Nobody there.

0910: Supervisor (RM) arrives and is immediately called away for a meeting. Tells me to go look some figures up and we agree to meet back at his office at 11 to further discuss the project.

1200: After an hour of me sitting in the office, RM arrives back from the meeting. We talk about the project - what we're going to need and what we hope to end up with. I'm going to be recording the numbers of stillbirths, mummified piglets and perinatal mortalities from each sow that farrows during the course of the next 4 weeks. Which requires bags, boxes, permanent markers, the Post Mortem room in the vet school, and lots of patience.

1230: RM called away again - the stockman at the vet farm thinks one of the sheep there has scrapie. It'll not be good news if it is scrapie - the whole flock will have to be tested and possibly culled.

I ended up going home after that - lunch was more inviting than sitting in the library studying. And anyway, I have the figures I need for tomorrow. Bring on the food!