AJ Horback describes her experience as the Ag program intern below:
“My experience interning at the sheep center has been nothing less than fun. Working alongside Mr. Cardwell and the other sheep center employees brought me a head full of knowledge and some forever friends. Growing up showing cattle and hogs, the thought of working with sheep was not ideal, but I am not one to give up on something that I have started. Thankfully I had been around the sheep center my whole sophomore year, as being in the sheep production class in the fall, where I got to travel to both Tulsa State Fair and the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.
My first semester was basically preparation for the spring semester, as I came in with much more knowledge then before and was more than willing to help all that I could. We did many different forms of things I already had knowledge of, such as flushing and Artificial Insemination. This process is much different in sheep then in cattle. With flushing, you have to put the sheep to sleep and flip them on their backs, then insert tubes into the uterus on both sides, allowing eggs to flow out. With AI, the same idea of flipping them on their backs was used, the semen was inserted directly into their uterus from under their bellies, unlike cattle where you can just use a rod and insert the semen that way.
This experience has taught me so much about a specie I never thought I would come to enjoy. Working with Bart and the sheep crew will never be forgotten, and all the life lessons I have learned will stay with me forever.”