The Farm

Hello everyone! My name is Kira Hydock, a Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences student from Penn State University. As Carol mentioned in a previous blog post, I have been working with Dave Howell on the agricultural aspects to the Urukundo Foundation. And it has been an exciting mission trip indeed in terms of agricultural projects being accomplished.

Our first day on the job, Dave and I set out with Sam, the farm manager, to identify areas of improvement that could increase the production of the farm. We quickly learned that there were many projects to be tackled. First thing first was to get all the animals water. In the villages, goats are often not given water because they receive enough moisture from the grass. Unfortunately, not all the animals here were on pasture continually, and were therefore lacking water. As of today, all of the rabbits and goats have newly-made water cups or buckets.

Dave and I also wanted to work on improving the manner in which animals were receiving their food. Instead if placing food on the ground where it could quickly be soiled, we envisioned mangers in each animal enclosure. All of the rabbit hutches have been furnished with feeders that will supply a blend of food we comprised with Sam's assistance. The goats also have a wonderfully constructed manger, thanks to the help of Dan, Greg and Kevin. Since the male goat is tied separately from the female goats, Dave and I employed our craft skills in order to weave a feedbag. This bag is similar to that used to hold hay for horses and other livestock in the US.

Dealing with a skin rash on pigs was also on the list of tasks. The dry skin was caused by a lack of mud to roll in and constant exposure to the sun. Thanks to Dave's expertise, we solved this problem cheaply by purchasing a bottle of oil and massaging it onto the pigs with a rag. The pigs will continue to receive this treatment until the rash subsides.

Although there is still much to be done, I am so excited about what the future may hold for the animals here at Urukundo. The accomplishments are not only that of the team that is physically here, but of our supporters back home, including all of you blog readers.

Both Dave and I greatly appreciate the receptiveness of Sam and the other farm hands to our ideas, as well as the help we have received from other members on the team.