A future with animals? Lookin for some advice

[LuvMyChickies13]

Hello! Im trying to figure out what im going to do with my life! But i've been considering working with farm animals. Where do I start? I have a passion for many other things too like music, art, teaching, nature and healthcare but i feel like I might be headed for farm animals! It's kinda been this way since I was younger going to the county fair petting zoos and then several years ago (and each year after) that I've gone to our Sate Fair, I've gone to the barns and stables. While in the stables however, I could spend hours with those horses. I've only ridden once but I just love those horses so much! My chickens are all I ever talk about along with my Lab pup! Anyhow, I'm wondering if any of you lives on a farm, or can give me any advice as to where I should take my life?

 

[sourland]

Try getting an internship/job on a farm. Farm life, although extremely rewarding, is frequently less than glamorous. A degree in animal science/Husbandry would be a great asset.

 

[Bullitt]

Hello! Im trying to figure out what im going to do with my life! But i've been considering working with farm animals. Where do I start? I have a passion for many other things too like music, art, teaching, nature and healthcare but i feel like I might be headed for farm animals! It's kinda been this way since I was younger going to the county fair petting zoos and then several years ago (and each year after) that I've gone to our Sate Fair, I've gone to the barns and stables. While in the stables however, I could spend hours with those horses. I've only ridden once but I just love those horses so much! My chickens are all I ever talk about along with my Lab pup! Anyhow, I'm wondering if any of you lives on a farm, or can give me any advice as to where I should take my life?

Have you thought about becoming a veterinarian? You need a 4-year degree and then you must complete veterinary school. It takes a lot of work, but it would be a rewarding career.

Or, if you do not want to go to school that long, you might think about becoming a veterinary technician. I am not sure if a 2-year or 4-year degree is needed to become a veterinary technician.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

My husband and I both went to private colleges, and for us, it was not worth the student debt. College was great for other reasons (like meeting each other), but we have found our degrees to be pretty worthless in the current job market, and that is a topic well worth reading up on before deciding what path to take. Community college is often a safer bet with more affordable fees and more flexibility on hours so it is easier to work a job while taking classes. Money and the rat race are not things I value highly, but I have had to make them more of a priority than I would like. It has been painful to see so many of my adult friends having to move back in with their parents.

If you have the money/a full-ride scholarship/the desire to spend additional years in school, then going onto grad school might be worth it, but many of my peers are finding that isn't what it used to either. Just be sure to talk with others in the field you are interested in.

Be very wary of any for-profit schools. As in, run.

What my husband and I ended up doing is living on a tight budget and saving money while he pursued certification in IT work (while working a full-time job) so that we could increase our income. Because we came into some money through a relative's generosity,, we were able to speed up our plans and just purchased 2 acres with a home that we could afford only because both need a ton of work. I am currently working part-time at a local job while he works full-time at his new IT job. I'm working part-time so that I can fix up the house and land, develop two small businesses ventures, and begin growing our own food. Once that is all up and running, I will be pursuing IT work myself. Other jobs paths we had considered included environmental lawyer work or PhDs in clinical psychology, but the student debt was too much to consider and we realized we didn't want to spend ten or more years back in school. Trying to start a farm in our 80s was not an attractive idea.

We've both worked some really terrible jobs until this point, and honestly got tired of having our sweat line someone else's pockets and our health depleted. That is just one reason why we decided to put everything we had into land and raising our own food. Self-employment can be very gratifying, and better still if you have a back-up plan if it falls through.

There really is no right path though. Living within your means, setting reasonable goals, and learning how to be flexible when things do not go as planned are going to serve you well regardless of what you decide to pursue.

 

[sourland]

That last sentence in punk-a-doodle's post is some of the best advice you will ever get!

 

[LuvMyChickies13]

Try getting an internship/job on a farm. Farm life, although extremely rewarding, is frequently less than glamorous. A degree in animal science/Husbandry would be a great asset.

Thats great advice thank you!

 

[LuvMyChickies13]

Have you thought about becoming a veterinarian? You need a 4-year degree and then you must complete veterinary school. It takes a lot of work, but it would be a rewarding career.

Or, if you do not want to go to school that long, you might think about becoming a veterinary technician. I am not sure if a 2-year or 4-year degree is needed to become a veterinary technician.

I have thought about it! That's a good thing to consider. Thanks for your help!

 

[LuvMyChickies13]

That last sentence in punk-a-doodle's post is some of the best advice you will ever get!

Wow, so true!

 

[txnative]

Try volunteering at an animal shelter or vet's office. See if there is a barn nearby where you can either work or volunteer. Find out if any of your friends have farms, or friends on farms where you could spend time. Take riding lessons just to see if horses really are what you think - they can be a total pleasure and also be a total hassle.

If you're still young enough to be in high school, does your school have a 4-H club?

If I had it to do over again (and yes, I still could but I like what I do now) and if I knew there was even such a thing out there, I would have gone into canine physical therapy/rehab. So interesting to me, but I had to be an adult on my own for many years before I got involved in a dog rescue that led to knowing about PT, etc.

Open up your phone book's yellow pages and browse the headings - you may see a category that gets your attention that you were not even aware of.

 

[LuvMyChickies13]

Those are some great ideas. I know that money probably isn't as good but like maybe I could still have farming with animals in my life whilst having a good paying job?