Ten Things You’ll Know If You Work With Calves

The best part of being a vet student has got to be the placements we do in the holidays, where we get to spend every day working with all sorts of animals! One of my favourite placements has been working on a dairy farm up in the North East of England; a really beautiful farm set in the most gorgeous looking countryside. I was so lucky to find this farm and get the opportunity to learn so much about cows from the farmer, who is especially keen to teach students. I count myself even luckier because, although it was only a one-week placement, I haven’t actually left yet!

This weekend, I managed to fit in a visit back up North, and was asked to help out with milking and then feed and check the calves. Working with calves is great, because you get to see those little faces get excited when you carry a bucket of milk to them, but in comparison to your friends’ jobs in shops or pubs, can be a little odd! Here’s a list of 10 things that’ll definitely sound familiar if you work with calves! Have fun!
1. You have a new odour clinging to you
By this I mean you CONSTANTLY smell of milk, which to be honest, I find a lot worse than poo; the smell of milk gets worse as the day goes on.
2. You are put off quite a lot of different curries
After looking after a calf with scour (scour is a farm word for diarrhoea), I promise you’ll NEVER look at a chicken korma without suspicion…

3. It’s a wonder your hands are still intact
There is always one poor baby per day who hasn’t quite learned how to drink from a bucket. It is certainly surprising how hard they suck on your hand whilst you teach them to drink their milk!
4. You develop AMAZING balance
Again with reference to the baby you need to help: calves get very excited about milk time and don’t quite understand that it’ll slow down the process of getting their milk if they head butt you as you climb over the side of the pen.
5. Your feet are covered in bruises
Yes, calves, like most farm animals, have four feet but don’t be fooled; they still prefer to stand on yours!
6. One corner of your coat just doesn’t seem to dry out anymore
Whether you’re walking through the shed, feeding a young calf, or taking another one’s temperature, if you’re in reach of a calf then your coat, trousers, hair, hands, anything will be licked and suckled by said calf!
7. You talk to the animals
Perhaps a slightly odd habit but if a calf shouts out to you, you talk back! It would be rude not to!
8. Part of your hair always clumps together
I can never work out if this is milk or saliva; most of the time I don’t think I want to know!
9. You treat the calves like children
You spend a long time with these four-legged babies and get to know their routine. I’ve quite often found myself feeling sorry for the poor calves at the end of the shed who always seem to get their milk after everybody else!
10. They’re not just any children, they’re YOUR children
It’s amazing how protective you can get of the calves in the shed. Even if you’re there infrequently like me, it’s difficult to resist sending a message to whoever is working the following day asking them to keep an especially close eye on a couple of calves you’ve been looking after.

Working with calves has to be one of the best jobs in the

world, but only if you’re cut out to do it. It’s hard work, you get dirty, and you end up smelling so bad your family don’t want to be anywhere near you, but it’s rewarding to see them grow and get better if they’ve not been well. Definitely my favourite thing about being a vet student!