Have finally finished and handed in my dissertation!!

I tested 5 essential oils at 9 different concentrations to test their ability to kill Poultry Red Mite... and it worked! :)

'Cos I've been Lambing and working on the farm for 8 weeks my hands have gone really horrible.
When we were TB testing the other day they were so dry they looked Scaley!

I used a handful of udder cream to moisturise them! haha

I went for a ride out on Danny this week and cantered him for the first time!

The first time we were walking around he field, I asked him to Trot on... He went straight into a Canter!
My bum stayed connected to the saddle the whole time and felt so smooth. Was really excited after haha
Think I must have relaxed my hips properly 'cos I wasn't expecting it.
The other couple of times I did it he Cantered straight away but I wasn't as relaxed and had my heels up so my bum was bouncing a bit in the saddle.

Still, I'm learning and was good fun!!!

The CPQ are growing up fast!
There's 44 of them and have been trying to sell a few. 2 pet shops I have spoken to are interested in buying some

Got a few photos of them...

Lidds and the girls I live with have bleached my hair and dyed it blue!

Is for a Birthday social tonight.
I figure I'm 21, a student and can't do it when I get a 'proper' job, so why not now!?

Have been helping to back a couple of horses and my friends we're doing it with have been saying for ages we should have Riding lessons...
Thought it was just for girls and that I'd squash all the horses etc but we finally decided to book lessons and it was really good!
Have worked with horses for years at the farm + at work, so know a bit about them but never ridden.

We've only done Rising Trot but is good so far! My horse is called Boxer and he's got a really big trot so I spend half the time making him slow down so he doesn't overall, but think I'm setting the hang of it. The woman asked if I'm sure I've never ridden before 'cos I looked quite good :P haha

We took Dafydd to the beach today to exercise him and teach him to jump.

Must have spent 2 hours playing and trotting around the beach but he loved it!!
As much as I hate running I loved it too! :))

I took a couple eggs out the incubator and this face was staring back at me!

I candled a load of the quail eggs today and a lot are fertile!

I took out 7/21 Japanese eggs and 5/120 CPQ eggs... Although I didn't candle then all but lots were fertile :)

I'm really looking forward to another season of Lambing!

I have the new job at the Uni farm which I think will be about 6 weeks split between me and Cody - not sure if we'll be in pairs, on our own, or what yet though. At least at the Uni farm there's somewhere warm to sit and do Dissertation work, if we're quiet with the Lambing!

Richard from Glanystwyth rang me a few weeks ago to ask if I could go Lambing for him again this year. It'll be 3 or 4 weeks of 9pm-6am which is quite a lot when we have lectures and Uni too.
I asked the 3 girls who have come for the last 2 years but they didn't want to come 'cos of Uni etc which is fair enough. A few other people on my course want to come this year but have never been Lambing before, so it'll be really good to have help but will need to help and teach them how to Lamb too...

The 2 farms are so completely different...
First the Uni farm is a modern, almost clinical, performance-recorded system where we don't pull much and have to measure and record every detail for research:
Then Glanystwyth is a traditional Welsh farm with a massive shed with 1,200 Organic ewes and lots of little barns with lambs in:

Not sure when Uni start but Glanystwyth start in 2 weeks! :)

I saw a Medical student post something with made me laugh and wanted to make a Vet version...

The question wannabe Vet Students ALWAYS get asked it, "SO, why do you want to be a vet?"

Lets make a list of things we need in a career:
Mentally and practically stimulating challenge
Variety in work with new scenarios everyday
A world of species and specialisms in which to be able to explore
The opportunities to make a difference to animals and animal-owners lives
And most importantly of all, I wanted to wear my blue pyjamas to work everyday

Went to the Royal Welsh Winter fair at Builth Wells yesterday.

They had reindeer, cows, sheep, horses and chickens!

I've just popped around 120 Quail eggs into my MS Broedmachine incubator.
I bought 24 Japanese Quail eggs and 108 CPQ eggs but after candling them a couple had cracks in their shells so I didn't put those in the incy.

Due to hatch around the 17th/18th Feb!

Tommy the Donkey!

Just bought The Staves' album for my car and love this track...

To be fair, ‎2012 was wicked.
I went to Reading, Latitude and Hackney festivals.
London for the Olympics, Les Mis, Blood Brothers and Wicked.
Snapped my ankle and travelled around Europe in a wheelchair.
Gained valuable work experience, skills and contacts. Just need to work on the academic skills now!
Worked with camels for the Jubilee. Helped to break in and back a few ponies - still need to learn to ride.
Got a new job on the Uni farm doing Milking and Lambing.
Bought a car in Jan, then have just bought another to replace it.
Turned 21 and spent the whole year with amazing friends and family! 

Here's to 2013!

I think one of the chickens, Mabel a Pekin bantam, has Scaley Face Mites...
Its only happened over the last 2 weeks and on one side of her face