POUL 3100 Reflective writing 2

The end of the semester is upon us and as I look back on the class I realize that there was a lot about the feed industry that I knew nothing about. I enrolled in this class because the feed industry has such a large role in the poultry industry. Knowing about feed manufacturing makes understanding the industry easier. Although I have learned so much about feed and feed manufacturing I realize that there is still a lot that I do not know and there is more to learn. As I discussed in my previous writing I have an internship this summer with Wayne Farms at their feed mill in Guntersville. Now that I have taken this class I feel prepared to dart my internship and not be lost. I now can walk through the feed mill and can tell you what is going on at each step and why that step is important. I do think that this course has helped me a lot in understanding how things happen in a commercial setting. Dr. Starkey having been in the industry gives an excellent perspective on what to expect in the real world. Also getting a guest lecture from Dr. Pacheco was very interesting especially to hear about his experiences on being a feed mill manager. Having professors that have first hand experience and knowledge of how things work in a commercial setting is a luxury that many universities do not have and this only helps me and my other classmates. Also being in the feed mill makes all the difference in the world. Seeing things down in person makes learning so much easier than seeing them done on a video, and again seeing some of the mechanical issues that the mill has to deal with allows us to see some problems we may experience first hand. Overall this course has taught me so much about the feed industry and feed manufacturing; more than I ever knew it could. This is a class that, in order to show other students which part of the poultry industry accounts for 70% of your cost, all student should take. The knowledge you gain from this class only helps you in the long run when you are in the industry.