Animal Husbandry stiudents at the Hobart Show

Showing my Dorper Ram, Oli

Last Wednesday morning I went to the Royal Hobart Show to compete with my ram, Oli. Oli is a Dorper ram; he was entered in the section for rams not exceeding 1.5 years. When we got to the show grounds, we put Oli in a pen and started getting ready.

Oli was to be shown after the Poll Dorsets. As this was our first time showing, we were able to watch the other sheep being shown so we would know what to do. When it was Oli’s time to be shown I was very nervous because it was my first time showing. When you are showing you need to keep the rams four legs in line and square and you must keep the sheep’s body in line.

I came second in my class because Oli did not have enough meat on him. I was given feedback and was told that he is a beautifully presented ram with good shoulders, very fertile and perfect conformation. He has a good future. I am now getting Oli ready for the Huon show in three weeks.

Melanie Cook

Showing Chickens at the Royal Hobart Show

Preparing our chickens for the show was a long and exciting process. From the start of Term 4 to Show Day, we spent countless lessons and lunchtimes grooming, washing, and drying their faces, feathers and feet.

At Poultry Shows, judges do their judging without an audience. The key things the judge looks for include the health, size, weight and alertness, condition of the feathers, feet, combs, wattles and tail.

Judges do not like chickens that are either under or over weight, having split feathers and strange discolouring in the skin, face or feathers.

All our 12 chickens that were at the Royal Hobart Show did exceptionally well, all receiving a place of either First, Second or Third.

Tara Davie, Tahlia Kirkham and Lily Cooper

Showing Guinea Pigs

On Saturday 28 November 2017, we participated in the Royal Hobart Show Cavies Competition, which is run by Cavies Tasmania. We showed two Rex Guinea Pigs named Rexy and Cocoa.

There is a lot of work involved in preparing Cavies to be shown. You start off by clipping their nails and then you start on their hair.

Guinea pigs have a thick layer of short hairs and then there is a thin layer of loose short hairs (which are known as guard hairs). When showing guinea pigs, you have to remove all the guard hairs one by one. This took us hours!

After all the hard work we resulted in Rexy coming in Second Place. Altogether we had a great and fun day and we learnt a lot of new information we had never heard of before.

We would also like to thank all the people who helped us out during the day.

Rhianna Dean and Melanie Casboult

Showing the Toggenburg Goat - Chieri

We entered our Toggenburg Kid – Chieri (born at the school earlier this year) into he Royal Hobart Show. As a group we had spent the past three weeks grooming, washing, clipping, training and cleaning her ready for the Show.

Over this year, I have been studying Toggenburg Dairy Goats as part of my portfolio for Animal Husbandry. I have been researching and learning about them. One of my tasks was to prepare Chieri for the Royal Hobart Show and the Huon Show in November. I was in charge of Chieri and prepared her for judging. I spent the first couple of hours practising, grooming and trimming Chieri.

Throughout the day, other goat contestants allowed some of the Dominic students to help lead their goats into the ring for judging. Chieri and I gained first place in her class and then ‘Champion of Breed’. Later on junior handlers were called up; all of the Dominic Students that came on the day handled a goat from other contestants. I came first for best junior handler of goats, Georgia Amos came 2nd and Tara Davie came 3rd for best junior handler.

After we finished competing, we all cleaned the area, thanked the other handlers and brought Chieri back to Dominic College for a well earned rest.

Daniel Hunniford