2007 Pathways and Access to Careers in Technology
Field Team Research Group 5C: CSI:Farm Sickness

Our Group Members include: Agents: Michael Couch, Marcella Mast,
Roosevelt Bell, Benita DeLuca, Ben Flanigan, Bailey Hawkins, and
Carrera Noelcher

Our PACT Challenge: Mission:To find out why or what is making
the farm animals sick and which is causing them to die off.

The facts we learned about goats: We suspect that the water from
the pond that the goats drink is contaminated with pestides and
other harmful chemicals from Billy Bob Cabrito's crops. Another
factor is that Billy Bob Cabrito has been giving the goats too much
feed during bredding season causing over production of acid in
the stomach which leads to strepthococcus.

The facts we learned about fish: WE KNOW ITS NOT PESTISITES causing
death among the fish becuase if it was ther would be mass of fish
dieing in one day. With parasites only 10-15 die at a time. But we do
know that gill fluke suffocates the fish becuase it is a parasite that
eats away at the gills which makes it harder to breath for the fish.

We learned about soil and water analysis to solve the challenge. 
To analyze soil we had to: We had to take different types of soil and
put water in them. Then we measured the pH level with little slips
of pH paper. If the pH level was over 7 it was alkalinc. If it was under
7 it was acidic.

To analyze water we had to: We had to take different samples of
water and measure their pH level with a little slip of pH paper.

Our soil results: Runoff Plot soil: was 7 Organic Plot soil: was 8
Sample 1: was 8 Sample 2: was 7

Our water results: Microcosim sample: was 7 Pond Water: was 7
Sample 1: was 5 Sample 2: was 5

Based on these studies and our analysis results our
recommendation to Mr. Billie Bob Cabrito is: Try not to spray the crops
with pesticides. Try to use non toxic pesticides. From our research we
know that the goats were sick because, the pesticides were running
off into the pond where the goats were drinking. Treatment for fish:
potassium permanganate + 0.75% ( NaCL) = 7.5 ppt