Awesome therio lab today

We had a clinical skills lab scheduled for today that said nothing but "bovine therio" on the calendar.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  Last year, when we had a therio lab, we basically palpated a cow uterus through a curtain, and tried to find the ovaries, and practiced AI techniques.  I thought this might be similar.  

This time, we had a bunch of stillborn calves from a local dairy, and they were in model cows (basically a wooden frame with a plastic uterus and vagina.)  They had us practice palpating to find the position of the calves, then we had to place chains around their legs, so we could safely "deliver" them.  We also had fetotomy tools that we could practice using, in case you had a cow that couldn't deliver a dead calf.  It was disgusting and fascinating at the same time.  

It makes me look forward to when I graduate, and can afford some land, and can get some cattle of my own.  Still not interested enough by the cow stuff to consider food animal practice, but I do want my own herd.  And a goat.  And chickens.  And a large aquaponics greenhouse.  A girl can dream, can't she?