Meet Jess
Having always had a keen interest in animals and the country life, Jess started her veterinary career at Murdoch University. Whilst studying a combined Bachelor of Veterinary Science/Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, she also concurrently completed a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science – a degree more focused on animal production, particularly meat, milk and wool. She gained permission to further overload her studies and completed an honours thesis in meat science. The project involved a feasibility trial of a vaccine aimed at increasing the performance of lot fed heifers and increasing their compliance within the domestic carcase grid. This education provided her with a solid foundation not only in animal health, but also in meat, milk and wool production, which is essential to be able to understand the drivers behind farm economics, productivity and profitability.
While studying, Jess enjoyed showing cattle, working as a farm hand on feedlots and assisting with meat research projects. Jess was also involved with the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association for several years. The association encourages students to pursue careers in the meat industry and has several events, including an annual, week-long red meat conference and carcase judging competition for tertiary students. Jess was a successful competitor in 2010 and was selected to represent the Australian National team, which provided her with the opportunity to tour the US meat industry and compete on their judging circuit. She then returned to help coach another 5 teams of students.
After graduating in 2015 with distinction and first-class honours, Jess initially took a role with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, working as a veterinarian in export abattoirs, before later transitioning back to Albany, in order to offer on-farm veterinary services on a full-time basis. Jess now enjoys working one-on-one with producers and has a particular interest in reproductive performance and meat production from pasture-based systems, as well as herd health. In her spare time, she helps husband Cody with their mixed cow-calf and PTIC trade heifer farming business.
Meet Milly
Milly grew up on her family’s sheep and crop farm in Pingelly, WA which fostered her interest in animals from a young age. After finishing high school, she studied a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Murdoch University, graduating in 2020. During this time she travelled as much as she could, and took university practical placements as an opportunity to see a bit of Australia. Spending time with a production consultancy vet and a mixed practice in Deloraine, Tasmania was a highlight.
Pursuing a career that involved working with sheep and cattle in a rural area was a natural next step. In the last month of her degree, she completed a placement with Bovitech as part of her production animal streaming period. She had the pleasure of learning from Jess and enjoyed it so much that the offer of a job and the move to the Albany area was an easy decision.
Milly has been working at Bovitech since March 2021, and appreciates the area, lifestyle, and producers that she works with. She is passionate about improving production and welfare outcomes for Bovitech clients, enjoying pregnancy diagnosis, post-mortem workups and bull testing on-farm, and herd health consultancy back in the office. In her spare time you’ll find her hiking, or at the beach with her border collie Rosie. Milly is an invaluable asset to the Bovitech team and we’re proud to have her on board.
Meet Rachel
Rachel is our wonderful veterinary assistant who works hard behind the scenes to keep us on track. Rachel grew up on her parent’s sheep farm in Napier and after graduating from the WA College of Agriculture, Denmark her passion for the industry really took off.
During her time at Denmark Ag College Rachel was involved in many electives, such as showing and judging cattle and sheep in multiple agricultural shows. One of her fondest memories was representing the state in the National Merino Fleece Judging competition in Tasmania, after qualifying at the Perth Royal Show in 2015.
Rachel has an abundance of hands-on practical skills and knowledge, which she developed working on dairies, cattle feedlots and during her time on a remote mixed cattle and cropping station in the Kimberly. After returning home from the North, Rachel spent some time with Nutrien Ag Solutions in Albany which provided invaluable knowledge on products and the inner workings of a business. In her spare time she loves playing sport and taking Ruby, her border collie to the beach. We had the good fortune of Rachel joining Bovitech in April 2024, she has played an essential role since then and we’re thrilled to have her in the team.
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