05/25/2022
The tough reality of raising livestock, is sometimes they don’t all make it.
Last night, we had a doe go into labor prematurely, for reasons we will never know. (We are new to premature labor, THANK GOD for our neighbor who is seasoned!)
She had triplets, two of which, after as many attempts possible, just were not strong enough, and didn’t make it.
I held them as they crossed over, and in that tough moment asked myself why we were even doing this. Why risk times like these. Why even put ourselves -and our goats- through it.
And I looked up at mamma doe with her surviving kid. She wasn’t focused on what had already taken place, but on her baby, trying to give him the best care and chance at life. I watched how she was tending to him and softly baying at him, urging him to live. She hadn’t done that with the other two because she already knew before we did. But she never skipped a beat with this guy and gave more care and attention to him then I’ve ever really seen a goat do.
And then I looked out at the other little babes with their mammas and it hit me, a reality check brought me out of my pity party. For every baby born, every egg laid, every crop sewn, we are a part of a very tiny percentage of America that is keeping Agriculture alive. THIS is part of our purpose here in small town Virginia.
There will be tough moments, learning curves, and even death….but being able to contribute, even just a little bit, to the greater good of what Ag and farming do for this country and the people in it, I’m proud we get to be a part of it all.
-Olivia
