Asinerie d'Embazac

Here are several pictures of where I have been having an internship at!

Bastille Day!

Today, I have a break from my internship.  I thought it would be a good time to catch up with my family and school things (I decided I didn't like my schedule next semester, so I'm reworking it.).  I was lucky enough to talk to my family several times over the past few days.  I miss them so much!  Thankfully, Skype and phone calls make being miles from home feel a little closer.

Pictures!

Internship

Hello from L’isle Jourdain, France!  I have been very busy with my host family and the internet has been down, which explains my lack of posting.  Lots of interesting things have happened since I last posted.  I finished my last week at Purpan.  

Ice cream, brewery, and a road trip (with lots of pictures)!

I chose the food and agriculture option for this program, so we did two tours relating to food science on Thursday.  The first tour was to a small dairy goat farm.  With a herd of twenty goats, the family is able to make and sell their own specialty ice cream.  The farmer told us that keeping a small herd allowed for small production costs.  For example, he hand milks the goats once a day, which cuts out the cost for a milking parlor and machinery.  He also allows the kids (baby goats for you non-animal scientists) to nurse on their mothers, cutting the cost of separate housing and milk replacer.  He was able to feed and give water to his small herd without the assistance of a machine or automated waterer.

goat herd and pony

Experimental Farm at Purpan

Like agriculture universities in the United States, Purpan has an experimental farm where they hold research studies.  They have about 150 dairy cows and a few thousand chickens.  Purpan recently built a new building for it's cows, allowing for more natural light and air flow.  It was a modern, clean facility.  Instead of a milking parlor, cows walked into a stall to be milked at their leisure by a robotic milking machine.  They were still milked three times a day, but they were all milked at individual times.  In the United States, cows are typically milked three times a day as a group. The pen that the cows were in had a revolving brush they could rub against.  They really seemed to enjoy it!

Internship at ENVT

Great news!  I'll be living in Toulouse for another month with my friend Karen.  She has a research internship and I will have an internship in the field of equine surgery at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT)!  Equine medicine (including surgery), I think, is the career path I want to follow.  I also have an interest in international studies and how that relates to animal science.  This internship will be a healthy blend of both those interests.  I can't wait!  I am so happy that I decided to study abroad at Purpan and that they were able to provide this excellent internship for me!

Additionally, I had a good day speaking French.  I think the language is slowly starting to sink in!