Donna Rodriguez
Watching a lamb take its first wobbly steps is just one of many things that the students in veterinary studies get to experience at the Pierce College.
The Pierce College Farmis the home to a pig, an alpaca, 15 sheep, 20 horses, 27 cattle, 31 chickens and at least 60 goats.
With so many animals there are two full time Agricultural Assistants, 70 to 80 pre-veterinary students and another 70 to 80 students enrolled in AS 501 that help care for them according to Dr. Leland S. Shapiro, director pre-veterinary science program.
Shapiro began working at Pierce College in 1971 milking cows. He was a maintenance worker and later went back to college. He came back to Pierce in 1976 as faculty.
“I love Pierce College” said, Shapiro “if it wasn’t for Pierce College I wouldn’t work in agriculture.”
“How can you not fall in love with cattle? Cattle gave me a good life, good living. Cows treat you the way you treat them, if you’re mean to them then you go broke” said Shapiro as he describes what working with cows has done for his life.
Students in veterinary studies are part of a farm team program. They engage in being part of the goat team, sheep team or lamb team depending on the animal they are observing. These teams observe and record the behavior of the animals.
They have two shifts and they spend an hour each shift. One shift is in the morning and another in the evening. They look for signs of the animal looking sick, not eating or drinking, or even bite marks on their body.
“I love animals” said, Registered Veterinary Technician Anissa Dorsey, 35, “being in this program has inspired me to want to work with exotic animals.”
Being able to see them give birth is “kind of gross” but “amazing to watch” said, Dorsey.
“You can read about it in a book but seeing it and being here is a learning experience” said, Registered Veterinary Technician Angela Amaro, 25.
“Foods coming” yells Dorsey as the sheep bah with excitement hearing the truck of Russ Schrotenboer, agriculture technician, come to bring them food.
“They’re doing good” says Schrotenboer as he bottle feeds the little speckled face lamb that isn’t as enthusiastic to eat as his sister who is being fed by Amaro.
Although many of the animals were bred at Pierce there are still some that were either donated or adopted.
Wade the alpaca was one that was donated to Pierce by a former student and Oliver the pig was adopted from a shelter.
The public can see the animals at the nature preserve Canyon de Lana, which is in the northern end of Chalk Hill at Pierce College.
There income comes from selling some of their animals. They sell the goats to people who either want them as pets or for brush control; brush control is when goats eat the grass to cut down on vegetation and prevents wildfires.
They also sell chicken eggs to pay for the chicken feed. Another source of income is the Annual Farm Walk. During the Annual Farm Walk people get to walk around to see all the exhibits, get to go on hayrides and there is also a petting zoo according to Vicki Michaelson, secretary for agriculture department.
Break box: Students are welcome to bring in donations to the Agricultural Science building. Things like a finished toilet paper cardboard tube so the rabbits and rats can gnaw on or fruits and vegetable for the animals to eat. There is a list in the Agricultural Science building of the fruits and vegetables the animals eat.