I was pregnant and feeling very ill. I had been diagnosed with diabetes but unbeknownst to me my gall bladder was a time bomb. Fargo Farm never rests though so we all strapped on our boots and hunkered down to getter done.
We had taken on a bottle baby "practice" bull from auction and he needed to be fed twice a day. The kids took to it immediately and I only had to take on bottle duty a few times myself.
Our sheep finally lambed and we had two ewe's with single lambs and one with twins. I cannot describe the excitement of going out in the morning to find new life in the pen. It seemed all our hard work and planning were paying off and we might just be farmers after all. Sadly, our elation was quickly replaced with heartbreak when we lost one baby. It was a hard lesson on the harsh reality of farm life. Through the loss of the lamb, I learned to better trust my instincts. I hesitated taking that baby from his mama even though I did not think she was caring for him, because I doubted my own judgement and did not want to unnecessarily remove a lamb from a perfectly good mother. In the end had I chosen to bottle feed him I may of saved his life.
All these new additions needed management so on Mother's Day we went out to vaccinate, worm, trim hooves and castrate the new and old, as need be. As always it was a family affair. We banded the boys which is a castration method that uses a band to stop circulation to the testicles allowing them to atrophy and fall off. We also had to slaughter a few chickens that had begun to cannibalize the other hens in the hen house. Being pregnant I was a bit sensitive and proceeded to vomit half way through the procedure. I was instantly demoted from pioneer woman to city slicker!
Spring is said to come in like a lion and out like a lamb, but ours ended with quite a roar...
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