Hands-on Clinical Experience - Boltons Park Farm
Based at the Hawkshead Campus in Hertfordshire, Boltons Park Farm is our farm animal practical teaching facility.
The farm consists of 200 hectares of mainly grazing grass, along with 14 hectares of wildlife stewardship plots planted last year and 20 hectares of ancient mixed woodland along with the younger woods that we have planted over the years.
Boltons Park Farm is currently milking 100 Premium Cattle Health Scheme IBR and BVD accredited pedigree Holstein Friesian cows and rear 70 young stock. Students can get involved in all aspects of the dairy.
Also on the farm are 400 sheep of mixed breeds that mostly graze all year in the fields. Our Norfolk Bronze and Black turkey flock are reared in environmentally enhanced conditions. The breed is ideal as it suits our rearing system, is slow growing, and produces a beautiful product. Also, 40 laying hens are on the farm with eggs sold to staff, students and local residents.
Services
Boltons Park Farm is our farm animal practical teaching facility. All Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Nursing and Animal Biology, Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics students will visit the farm at certain stages of the course. The farm is also a good source of extra-mural placement opportunities. You will carry out various activities here, such as:
- Fortnightly herd and flock health visits
- Lambing practical sessions and night watch
- Lameness scoringEmergency vet visits
- Clinical examination and rectal examination classes
- Elective projects and presentations
- Housing, feeding and nutrition classes
- Routine testing
- Animal handling practical sessions
- California milk testing
- Cattle foot trimming and sheep foot examination
- Animal welfare sessions
- Poultry handling and management farm appraisals
- Turkey production at Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Confidence days to build up confidence of any students who need additional support in certain skills
- Immersive animal husbandry practicals
More information about Boltons Park Farm here