Day 73..
Machinery - Outdoors
Today we hitched up two tractors and very different trailers, 1 passenger trailer and 1 dumper trailer, and went off to Durdham farm to practice manoeuvring around a farm yard! We had to drive through and around gates and entrances and then reverse through gates, entrances and in to barns and up hill in to parking bays (made by straw bales). This was a really fun task and driving the two tractors really made you think about your driving skills as there was a very different turning ability to each. My instruction was to go in the lowest possible gear when reversing in to more tricky places in order for me to stop 'riding the clutch' - controlling the speed of a vehicle with a manual transmission (gear box) by partially engaging the clutch plate, using the clutch pedal instead of (or as well as) the accelerator pedal! Its a habit but I was able to drive the tractor just as well not doing it!
Livestock - Classroom
We started the session with an introduction to pig production - the second largest meat consumption in the UK (chicken being the first). Bacon occupies 41% of the market, followed by Sausages and Pies 37% and Pork 22%. However, pig production is significantly influenced by market forces - people enter the market and the price goes down, people leave the market and the price goes back up and so on. A pig averages 2.4 litters based on a gestation period of 3m 3w 3d, weaning 1m and on heat (oestrous) for 1w - rolling in to 5 months from service to service and the number of piglets born can range from 8 to 18!
We then watched some dvds on sheep shearing - as we will be required to carry this out as a demonstration at the upcoming Newark and Notts agricultural show! Electrically powered hand shears were used and the idea is that blade glides across the surface of the sheep's skin removing the wool in one go! We will have to see how well we get on with that!
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