But I am getting stressed - you might have read my other posts - on top of which my 1st yr 20 - 30 page tranfer report (inc. lit review) has to be in in 2 mths and I haven't even started it (or the lit review) as too much of my time is taken up on other stuff or which a large part is animal husbandry. I am a nightmare where this is concerned anyway - I used to be boss in an animal welfare organisation and was known for getting on staff backs if animals were neglected in anyway so its a matter of pride for me - I just think that I shouldn't be spending so much time. My funding is for 3 years and people over run enough anyway - but I don't mine to overun even further into ther 'brassic' years due to effectively doing a part time phd! I have complained loudly though so they are looking at ways of reducing the workload but I just wondered what workload in this area is reasonable?

I challenged my supervisors about it and initially got told that it was all part of learning good stock husbandry (but I have 10 yrs background in animal husbandry and don't need to work 7 days/week to further enhance it) but it then transpired that the grant submission didn't budget for adequate support for me.

That's okay. I might have reacted the same way myself as I tend to get like that about animal welfare too It's just that the time taken effectively is wiping out too much of my phd time.

Thanks for your reply Kerosen. You roster sounds more reasonable to me. I am currently having to check them 7 days/week and the experiments can be 12-18weeks long. It is not a case of me finding being with the animals taxing - in many ways I actually prefer being with them then anywhere else - but I am finding that I have very little time actually left to do any PhD work. By the time I have gone in to the pens, done the necessary animal care needed to ensure that they are comfy (and it takes a long time precisely because I don't cut corners!), replenished water, etc (upto 58 pens) I can have spent 1 - 2 hours day on animal care. Over 7 days that can be 7 - 14 hours. If there are problems with water delivery, etc then it can go up considerably. For example I was due to start data collection yesterday at 8am. I actually started at 12pm due to husbandry needs. Effectively, this represents 1/4 of my phd time each week before I even start on experimental demands (which are/can be great).

Hi,

I am more than aware of the animal welfare needs of my animals and make sure those, and more, are met!!! I resent the implication that I am unethical to wonder if it is my responsiblility to directly provide that care. NOBODY in my department, least of all the animals, could have any complaints as to the level of care that they are given by me, however is it my responsibility to directly undertake these duties or to simply ensure that they have been carried out? How many research scientists do all their own mucking out of pens, cleaning of food bowls, etc???

I can expect to spend 1 week setting up caging and one week cleaning out at the end of each trial and I spend approximately 5 - 10 hours/week on general husbandry stuff (i.e. stuff not directly related to data collection but necessary to meeting the welfare of my charges). Is this normal?

Hi,

I am working with animals as part of my research collecting behavioural data. I have concerns that I am also acting as primary carer and technician. My question to everybody here working with animals is 'how much of the day to day care of the animals are you expected to undertake? All the feeding? Replenishing of water? Setting up the cages? Cleaning out the cages at the end of the trial?

Just piggie-backing on this post. And how long should a lit review be in the area of biological sciences? The same?

Which one of us? Me? I feel exactly the same - I am tearful, grouchy, fed up and desperate to pack up and go home I have spoken to my supervisors and they are looking at what they can do to help but I am not feeling optimistic to be honest. I don't think the money is available to facilitate a move to the other campus coupled with ongoing adequate technical support. P

Hi Despair, I am sorry to hear that things are like that for you. I am lucky in that at least the colleagues I have are lovely but I have been in jobs where the atmosphere has been like that and its awful. Are there any other departments with postgrads that you could sit in on seminars with and get to know those students instead? Even if its not in your discipline it would still be PG contact and a way to make friends.

Where are you based Olivia? Hang out with me!

Hi, 26 weeks, not months. No - I am working in the UK. The visiting scholars, etc are all from another country and communicate to each other in their own language as their english isn't very good.

Also - apologies for the gross number of typos! The consequence of emotional outbursts me thinks

I have spoken to my supervisor and have put the ball in his court for the moment. I am speaking to my other supervisors on monday so we will have to wait and see but I am not especially hopeful. Gutted at the mo!

Lol - tried the falling in love thing too - even joined a dating website when I arrived as it became obvious that there was a lack of everything here