Going Western: Part 3

 

Initially when I started this third post, it was pretty dark. I had just started doing night lambing duties instead of night calving and it was (still is) pretty darn stressful. The evening prior I had to spend the night in the barn because the roads were so bad. I was tired, and stretched pretty thin. I have cried more this past week than I have in a very, very long time (okay, probably since I started college). I have cried because I am stressed beyond belief, ridiculously tired, and I am homesick. I need a break. I am hoping that since this week is the last of the synchronized ewes, that I’ll be able to take that break next week and since the forecast is looking like it should be much better weather than the past few weeks.

            Now, to move on to some of the new things I have been able to experience. Since I have been basically taking over lambing duties, I’ve had to experience both the good and the bad. In the past two days, I’ve had three lambs that were coming wrong. The first just had a leg back (which was a simple fix). The second was the one that I hope to never experience again. The ewe had her first lamb fine so I decided that I would go back in and check for a second one. There was a second lamb but all that I felt was ribs. Apparently, the lamb was coming sideways instead of front feet and head first. I eventually got everything shifted around to where I could pull the front feet and the head up into the birth canal and got the lamb out! Thankfully and a little bit to my surprise, the lamb was alive! The third dystocia was a ewe that had a lamb with its head back. It wasn’t exactly the easiest to solve, but eventually the lamb made its grand entrance and is also alive!

            These past couple weeks have been difficult and trying no doubt, but I keep reminding myself that God won’t give me anything I can’t handle and that there is always a way. I just have to remember that.

Until next time!

Going Western Part 2

Ya’ll, calving more than 25 head of cows is chaotic. We had a day that it seemed all we were doing was pulling calves in the barn or separating cows that calved at the same time and were trying to claim another’s calf. Even though it is rather chaotic, seeing God’s constant gift of life and all of its amazement is rather constant. To think that everything went so right to get all of these babies is pretty awesome to think about. I did get to do something I haven’t done before as well as hope I don’t have to do often this past week, I helped pull a calf during my night calving duties. It was a rather difficult pull because the heifer wasn’t helping us at all, then when she went down, she didn’t go down “right” and that made things even harder. Thankfully, we got the calf out healthy and then the heifer went right to licking it and all was well.

            Last week, I got to change things up a bit and help shear sheep before they lamb. I wasn’t the one with the shears, but I did help get the sheep up on the shearing trailer so that the three people that were shearing could get it done. I’ve never seen shearing happen (like it’s actually supposed to get done) except at the shearing contest at the state fair. It was amazing to see how they maneuvered the ewes and just kept going! My back would hurt so bad! It was also interesting to see how much of a true difference there is between black-faced sheep wool and high-quality fine wool.

            These past couple days have been COLD, thankfully, the wind wasn’t too terrible last night, but the snow sure was coming down! I think the main thing I’m wanting to say is, always, always thank a farmer or rancher. They are always going out and checking on their animals or crops so that you, the consumer stay fed and clothed. I will forever be thankful for the “milder” winters that we get in West Virginia, I understand that we usually have wetter snow and the air is more humid (making it sometimes more miserable) but I think I will always remember the ranchers of the northern part of the US during the winter because this weather is something I’ve never seen.