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Dairy Farms & Large Animal Vets

Hey I've been trying to get some dairy work experience. I've sent out a few letters to dairy farmers but I haven't heard from any. Is it best to ring farmers on farms? Do they not tend to reply (farmers)? I had in mind it was quite easy to get a place on a farm rather than a large anim vets for example. What do you suggest I do?

Large Animal vets - there are literally none round where I live. And I don't know any relatives I can stay with particularly. Train stations are no where near where the large animal vets are if they are about an hour away. What do you suggest? Get more farm work?

Apologies for creating a new thread but I'd just like to get some more opinions.

Thankyou :smile:

Reply 1

jen vet

Original post by Robpattinsonxxx

Farmers are busy, busy people. Especially around now if there's as much snow around you as there is up here. :rolleyes:

I've always found with farmers it's much easier to speak to them over the phone and explain your situation. Most farmers will probably be impressed with an honest, straight-talking student with good communication skills who's amicable, and you'll be able to arrange to go up and visit and really sell yourself better. Now that you've sent the letters, probably best just to ring up and introduce yourself as the girl who wrote to them and ask if they've had any time to consider your request- then they'll have a basic idea of who you are and you can go from there.

With LA vets, I think it's best to have some. I find it hard to believe you know no one even slighly rural/suburban where you could stay for a bit?! If so, you need to stop asking on here and start thinking outside the box. Wait until you can drive then plan a week of mammoth commutes to the very nearest LA vets? A lot of uni hospitals have LA vets and might allow you to stay in halls/with interns if you explain your situation. If not, go somewhere and stay in a hotel. It'll be expensive but other applicants will probably do it. I've done it for some w/e last summer and managed to keep it under £200 including petrol, hotel (it was a room at the back of a dodgy pub) and meals.

Hope this helps.

EDIT// forgot to say, if you're planning to go to dairy farms, they will definately use vets! Just ask who they use and then contact those vets (maybe even when they're doing a routine visit up at the farm?). You could even ask the farmer/s if you could go and stand in on their routine visits (which are really interesting!!) and then sweet talk the vet into taking you on.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 2

tigercallie

Farm work is good, but you do really need large animal vets as well. I know its tough, i live in the city and i think there is one practice anywhere near me so i wrote to them and they were filled up for the entire year and i was told to get back to them on the 1st of january of the next year! I know other people on this site have stayed in B&B's, or maybe arrange some vet work then try and organise a family holiday around it? I know both those options cost money and kinda need parental help if ur still at school...but there doesnt really seem to be much option. Also, if you've done farm work, surely those farms have vets? ask them?

Hope this helps x

Reply 3

ponyvet

If you taget some very large practices, some have accommodation for night staff which the practice may let you use (I guess that will depend on your age though), or there may be someone who works at the practice who may let you stay with them.
If you contact the practices and explain the situation they may well be able to help or at least point you in the right direction. I know it's not easy as my friend from Hong Kong is studying vet med in the UK and has the same problem.
Hope you get something sorted out x

Reply 4

Robpattinsonxxx

Thanks guys. Wow its so complicated :frown:

Guess that's what it is to be honest though. Great advice there thankyou so much :smile:

Reply 5

Judas the Prude

Due to my location I only have one large animal placement booked so far (had to book several months in advance as they were very full), and they sent me a list of possible places to stay, all reasonably priced. I did mention that I had to sort out accommodation as I wasn't local when I contacted them, so if you do find a placement somewhere it is worth mentioning that you're not local and asking if they can recommend somewhere to stay.

Reply 6

SilverstarDJ

Ringing farmers to follow up is a good way to go. Even farmers who knew of me (since we attended some of the same small meetings) did not respond to my letters but were very friendly to help out when I rang them. :smile:

Surely you must have some relatives near by who you could perhaps stay with?

Reply 7

emmaaa..

i agree with jen about booking somewhere to stay cheap if you really want a placement and cant get it where you live/where any relatives are.
i've done work exp in 5 different counties and have had to stay with relatives and have stayed in hotels... you have to really if you live in the middle of birmingham. some placements ive driven 20 miles there and 20 miles back for 2 weeks. my mum was even kind enough to drive me 50 miles every saturday for 9 months when i couldnt drive (obviously this isnt practical but my mums was an exception to this rule :love:

) . it's expensive but sometimes neccessary if you're not lucky enough to be surrounded by farms.

i remember you saying your aunt lives in lichfield. try dairy farmers there, theres quite a few around there :smile:

if you cant get just la vets dont worry, try and see some mixed practice, and if the place is nice enough they might let you mainly go out with the la vets on calls. this is what i did, but i counted it as la work experience because i hardly saw a small and furry the whole time i was there, despite it being a mixed practice.

anyway, im rambling,,,sleep deprived :yawn:

Reply 8

Robpattinsonxxx

Ahh right cool! I did a week at a mixed practice. On one of the days I went on call with a LA vet. I wonder if the worse comes to the worse I could ask if i could go out for 5 days with him like that. But i don't believe they actually treat the LA if you get what I mean?

Thanks for the advice. I'm putting together a table and finding out about train stations and travelodge's. Just working it all out really. I'm sure I get something soon I hope.

On a happier note I rang a farmer yesterday that i had previously sent a letter to. They did know me from that and I will now ring them back in June nearer the time and see what they can do for me. Also I rang this cheese company who have there own farm - they use the milk to make the cheese and also do calving all year round. I will ring them after xmas they said as they are quite busy. BUt theres 2 opportunities for dairy farms. Do you think I should have any more farms for back up? I only have 2011 to do this experience.

So LA wise I'm going to try get somewhere maximum an hour a way. Ether get a train every day(perhaps a railcard) or look for a travelodge to stay for 4 nights.

Thanks for your help guys I feel im getting somewhere now! :smile:

Reply 9

AdamKr

I don't see a problem with using a mixed practice for LA/Equine experience. I went to a mixed practice with that purpose in mind and spent four weeks there, going out with vets every day from day 1. I did see a bit of small animal too, especially if there was something really interesting going on. But by choosing which vet I went with and when, I could just see whatever I thought would be most interesting on that day.