SAN ANTONIO – Students part of the agriscience magnet program at Madison High School have been raising livestock animals for the past few months and are getting ready to showcase them at upcoming events, including at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
Students have learned many skills along the way and spent every day grooming, exercising, training, and feeding their animals.
“Our Agriculture Science Magnet program consists of many different species that the students can raise. We have cattle, we have pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and rabbits,” said Janell McMullan, agriculture science teacher.
Students learn responsibility, work ethic and compassion. They are training, feeding, and cleaning the stalls every day including weekends and holidays.
Joe Trinidad is one of the students in the program and got his cattle named Red, in February.
“When I got him, he was like 400 pounds and now he’s up to almost 1,100,” Trinidad said.
Trinidad is getting ready to compete at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and other shows coming up in the next few weeks.
“He’ll probably go in like the Red Cross breed division. And so, it’s where 75 other calves around his size go and they look for muscle quality, structure, quality, the muscle to fat ratio,” Trinidad said.
Trinidad said this program is helping him gain the knowledge and skills for after high school.
“I want to go to vet school and be a veterinarian,” Trinidad said.
The school is currently recruiting students for their program for the next school year. For more information, click here.