My summer job!!!

This is my blog to let everyone know what I am doing on a daily basis...so that I don't have to use all my phone minutes considering I am in a different time zone.

My internship started two Monday's ago, June 4, 2007. I moved into an apartment in a neighboring town, Charleston, IL, with the three other interns this summer. If you didn't know, I am working at Christensen Farms, a large hog operation. To quickly wrap up last week, Monday we were ortiented to the ways of the farm and what we would be doing. Tuesday was our first day in our specific barns. It's been interesting by having to shower in and shower out when going in and out of the barns. Also, my day starts at 5:30 a.m. That's right bright and early, but we are done about 2:30 each afternoon.

Wednesday thru Friday the girls and I were given a company vehicle to take to Iowa for the World Pork Expo. There we meet up with the Minnisota interns. It was a fun week of being spoiled by a great company. It was so much fun getting to know the girls in our 61/2 hours of bonding driving time, and also to get to know the other people involved in the compay. (We even got to meet the owner and CEO Bob Christensen himself, too cool.)

This past Monday got started when we met up with Tim Hockenberry. He is in charge of sow units. He took us to the nearby Mulitpliers. This is basically the same as our own breed to wean units that we work in, but they deal with the different breed lines and basically it is way more complicated.

We did this on Monday and Tuesday, and boy did I learn a lot on those days. I got to sleave a gilt, totally cool, do ultrasound on sows and gilts, and tons of other fun things.

On Wednesday we returned to our normal barns. We are starting to get a routine to things. We are given specific tasks to accomplish during the day, and then a few others along the way. I finally broke down and was able to give shots on Wednesday, all by myself. I cannot lie, I am proud.

Thursday we got the rude awakening and got to shower in pond water. That is what happens when the city water is cut off. Then I got into one of the rooms I have been feeding to find out that a strong sow broke the bolts off of her crate, and in the process broke the water line to her waterer. It was a normal day, for the most part, and tomorrow back to business.

I must rest up tonight because my aching body is telling me it can take no more. He, he.