Lifestyle Block Medicine

• Basic animal handling and sample collection
• Common health problems
• Preventative and routine husbandry procedures
• Animal health planning and preventive care

• Demonstrate competence in clinical examination and handling of sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids.
• Be able to perform venipuncture and routine husbandry procedures on the major species seen on LSB properties.
• List and compare common health problems in the major species on LSB properties.
• Recognise different deworming products on the market and discuss how they can be utilised in LSB properties to maximise efficacy and reduce resistance.
• Recognise different vaccines available for LSB animals and create a calendar for appropriate administration.
• Create a generic and bespoke animal health plans for LSB clients that includes routine husbandry and preventative care.

• Improve knowledge and confidence in creating health plans for lifestyle block clients – giving structure and boundaries and setting them up for success.
• Improve knowledge and confidence in the skills of clinical examination, sample collection and routine husbandry of lifestyle block species.
• Improve knowledge and confidence in common diseases seen on lifestyle properties, how to recognise, treat and develop preventative management.
• Have access to quick guides and resources that can be used to save time, improve efficiency and reduce stress in emergency situations.

Christie Balcomb BVSc DACVIM-LA FHEA
Senior lecturer Production Animal Health, Massey Farm Services, School of Veterinary Services

Christie Balcomb received her BVSc from Massey in 2011, she completed an internship in Ruminant Health and Reproduction at North Carolina State University and completed a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine with an emphasis on Livestock from UC Davis in 2016. She worked in mixed animal private practice in Maui, Hawaii until returning to Massey Farm Services in 2021. She teaches into the preclinical veterinary classes about goat medicine, individual cattle medicine and many of the practical classes in the Farm Services rotations. Her interests include individual medicine and surgical management of livestock, as well as providing education and support for clients to provide care for their animals.

Jess Byrnes-Clark BVT BSc AFHEA
Managing Director and Technologist, Lakeside Lifestyle Animal Health

Jess recieved her BVT and BSc (Animal Sci & Physiology) from Massey in 2015. She returned to Massey in 2016 to work in Farm Services of the Teaching Hospital which is where her love of surgical and medical nursing of production animals began. In 2021 Jess started Lakeside Lifestyle Animal Health, a tech-based lifestyle block preventative health business in the areas around Lake Taupo. Her interests include medical and surgical nursing, anaesthesia, preventative animal health and client support.