Isle of Mull, Scotland!

Author: Anabelle Sammons | Major: Animal Science | Semester:  Summer 2024

An Experience That is Unique to You

My name is Annabelle Sammons, and I am a junior here at the University of Arkansas studying animal science with a pre-professional concentration within Bumpers College. Over the summer, I had an amazing opportunity to partake in an international research exchange program through Bumpers College with Scotland Rural College in Edinburgh, Scotland. I lived in Edinburgh for ten weeks and rotated throughout SRUC’s various research labs and farms. I assisted research technicians working on various trials with several varied species of animals. My internship’s curriculum was unique and geared towards myself and my area of study.

Academic Enrichment

My internship was spread out across various farms and campuses at SRUC. Primarily, I spent most of my time in Edinburgh working in the veterinary science labs at the Kings Buildings Campus. Here I worked with faculty and technicians to complete various research projects for several researchers. One of the projects consisted of taking fecal samples from sows and piglets within various stages of growth and isolating colonies of e coli on blood plates. Once we isolated the colonies, we would then use several types of antibiotic discs to target which antibiotics worked best.

I also worked with faculty at the CT unit. I only spent one day at the CT unit; however, it was one of the most interesting and stimulating things I have ever done. I worked with technicians to process a flock sheep through the scanner, using images to better be able to identify the superior genetics within the flock to breed back to, promoting more efficient genetics for better production and better breed qualities. The images can hone in and identify certain genetic details that could not be seen on ultrasound or other tests.

I also spent quite a bit of time at the Easter Howgate farms in Edinburgh working with the cattle breeding team. I got to have the unique experience of helping SRUC vets and technicians prepare the cows to be bred and then breeding the cows through artificial insemination. To prepare the cows and heifers, we sorted calves off the cows and heifers through a shoot where the vet inserted the CIDR. The CIDRs are an instrument that releases progesterone within the cow. The device helps to synchronize the cow’s estrus cycles to make breeding more efficient and cost effective, especially with the use of artificial insemination. The CIDR is left in the cow for about a week before they are removed. The cows are then tail marked to indicate to technicians as the cows come into estrus. The indicating factor will be that the tail mark has been rubbed off from the cows ‘bulling’ each other, a common behavior in cattle for cows that are coming into estrus. If there is an indication that the cow is in estrus, the cows are then bred through several rounds of artificial insemination until a pregnancy occurs.

Another farm I went to was in Crianlarich, in the highlands of Scotland. I spent two days on the Kirkton and Auchtertyre farms alongside technicians sorting sheep, performing wellness exams, tagging lambs and ewes that may have lost one of their ear tags, and placing tracking collars around the necks of the ewes. The collars are especially important because for most of the year, the sheep are pushed up the hill and left out to graze in the pastures.

Finally, I spent two days within different trial periods at Allermuir Poultry Facility working along technicians to gather data for an ongoing feed trial. The trial helps scientists and producers to comparatively analyze how both the environment and nutrition of the birds affect not only how the bird grows, but also how it affects the bird’s quality of life. My role throughout the trial on two different data collections within the project was to weigh the birds live before they were processed. On the second occasion, my role was to weigh the bird’s carcass and the fat deposit separately.

Career Advantages

This opportunity boasts benefits for me both personally and academically, especially as a pre-vet student. I learned so much about the research side of veterinary medicine and expanded my knowledge and skills within a lab setting. I participated in a liquid nitrogen certification and participated in various research trials. I became more confident around larger livestock in general and gained more experience with cattle, sheep, and chickens. Another key drive for participating in this amazing internship opportunity was to separate myself from other vet school applicants. My hopes were that through this experience, I could share my experiences with vet schools to help my name stick out in such a large pool of applicants.

Personal Growth and Advantages

On a more personal side, this internship was a wonderful example of individual growth. As someone who has never left the United States, this internship was a big step for me. I not only traveled outside of the United States, but I lived in the United Kingdom for two months by myself. I learned a lot about myself through this experience because of that. One of my dreams has always been to travel, specifically throughout Scotland. This opportunity helped me to achieve that goal. I became very well acquainted with public transportation, taking buses and trains throughout the country to visit various areas of Scotland. I travelled up into the highlands, into Inverness and the Isle of Skye. I travelled south to the border towns of Scotland and England and to the west coast making stops in Oban and around the Isle of Mull. I visited areas of central Scotland, spending time in Glasgow and Stirling. This experience has given me a taste for travel and learning, and I am not keen to stop here. I will hopefully continue to take advantage of the amazing opportunities that the University offers to travel and explore the world learning about different countries and cultures and about my specific field of study as well.