Donna Rodriguez
The animals are cared by the farm technicians and the students at Pierce College.
Some of the students who care for the animals are working to be nurses according to Kristopher Galang, the public relations chair of pre-veterinary club.
Students like Randi Katz care for the animals by cleaning their stalls or feeding them. If it’s necessary some of the students will bottle feed them.
Some of the students are also part of either the goat team or sheep team. These teams basically observe the animals and make sure that they are eating and sleeping.
The sheep team is looking after the ewes. Ewes are the female sheep that are pregnant according to Katz.
If these teams see the animals doing anything unusual like not eating or sleeping then they need to tell it to the senior students who are advanced and have been taught to be hands on.
“The senior students handle the cats, rabbits and rats” said, Katz. The students can bring these smaller animals toys to play with.
Katz also said that by helping out with the animals they can accumulate hours for their field work. Field work help students learn from experience here at Pierce, from there they go on to a university and then out into the world.
Those who are hands on and work with the animals are still conscious of their safety even though animal attacks are an unusual case according to Galang.
The Pierce College Farm is not a petting zoo but the public is always welcome to see them at the nature preserve Canyon de Lana, which is in the northern end of Chalk Hill at Pierce College, but they are not allowed to come into any contact with them.
The Pierce College Farmis the home to many of the animals which include animals like goats, sheep and horses.
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.
Breakout Box:
Students are welcome to bring in donations 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 veggies the animals eat.