Riding around with a local vet

Hey Guys!

After our first week in the Mbarara area, we were sent out to Rubaare. In this area, we would be riding around with a local vet. There is a cooperative of twenty farmers here that works with SNV, and we would also visit all of these farms in the next 3 weeks. In doing so, we would learn all about the challenges they are facing, and try to come up with some constructive solutions to the issues. 

In general, we would visit farms in the mornings and keep the afternoons open for emergencies. We also decided to institute some 'afternoon rounds' where we discussed a topic that Kwesiga (the local vet) wanted to learn more about. This was followed by palpating a few cows, because he also wanted to learn how to do pregnancy diagnosis. All in a day's work! 

Jared and Kwesiga sitting in the grass together, looking too damn cute. Kwesiga does a little bit of everything as a vet in this rural area, but his specialty is dairy cows. 

On the far left is Warren, he is our driver and has been seeing us safely all over the Ugandan countryside. He has his work cut out for him. The roads are sometimes no better than a goat trail, and we go off-roading for most of the day, just to get from farm to farm. There are no grid roads here, nature abhors a straight line in Uganda.

A lot of cows are just milked like this, with their back legs tied together just above the hock. The calf is gently batted away while the milker takes his share. Usually the calves are pastured separately, and brought to each individual cow at milking time. This stimulates the cow to release her milk, and the calf gets the remainder when the milker is done. 

I like to call this photo the honeymoon shot- this is Jared and I deworming the same cow at once, while one of the farm hands holds her head. Most of the Ugandans think we are totally crazy when I tell them we are on our honeymoon. 

The Ankole cow, a native breed to this region. Prized for their horns, they are incredibly calm. What they lack in milk production they make up for in resistance to local diseases. And those horns are amazing!

This man asked me if one of his sons could marry any of my sisters. I had to disappoint him and inform him they were both already married. He settled for a picture instead. Since this incident, I have been asked the same question again by another old man. Rosie and Jocy, if you only knew how in demand you were here. 

Kwesiga doing some castrations. It was ridiculously hot this day, I was hiding under a bush for half of them.

This is where we are staying. It has some beautiful views over the valley. It is an insanely bumpy half hour journey to town. 

Another view of our place for the month

This herd of cows lives just above us on the hill

Here we are administering diminazene and oxytetracycline to one farmer's herd. This is given once every 3 months for prevention of trypanosomiasis. This is the causative agent of 'sleeping sickness' in humans. In cattle, it more so manifests with diarrhea and ill thrift. 

We have also been doing a lot of drenching with dewormers here. 

For cattle and goats alike!

Here is Jared doing a palpation lab with Kwesiga. The cows here are all super calm, which is good because the handling facilities rely heavily on calm temperaments. 

The boys at the farm were really jealous that all the grown ups were getting to stick their arms in the cow's butts. So we gave them each a crack at it. 

Since we are coming to this farm so often to do palpation practice, we have gotten to know Emma and Honest quite well. They are two super fun, energetic little boys that spend a lot of time out with the cows. 

Here they are milking 'their cow.' Emma was also trying to palpate her, too. 

I figured if small children were milking cows that I might as well give it a try. I certainly wasn't winning any speed contests. 

We have met a lot of lovely Ugandans so far, and posed for a lot of pictures. 

We have been having a great experience so far. Uganda is an interesting place to raise dairy cows. There are totally different problems here because it is a tropical country. We have been brushing up on all of these wild and wonderful conditions as we bump along the road with Kwesiga. 

Until Next Time!