Your description of your sheep, is how I feel about my bovines they are cared for and loved right to the end. And that end is instantaneous they're just happily munching grass chilling out and then it's over. At which point it's me that suffers the pain, I usually end up in tears by the end of the day, but they keep me fed for two years and it is a way to avoid too much in breeding in the herd, by changing bulls every 2 years.
yup, all ways sucks when that time of year comes up. That's the difference of small farms vs factory we get to care about them on a personal level. Was out giving them all back scratches and pets, cute watching the lambs just born play.
If you don't know the animals personally how can you possibly take care of them properly, I don't think I could ever be happy working on a factory farm.
ya, I tend to hover till I see them suckle for the first time then I can rest easy, one ewe rejected both her lambs last year, her very first, but I found that a bit common with this mix, this year she is doting on her lamb.If you don't know the animals personally how can you possibly take care of them properly, I don't think I could ever be happy working on a factory farm.
It always amazes me just how quickly the new ones go from all legs and wobbly to racing each other across the paddock like it's the best thing ever, being able to run. Mind you in between those two things is the stressful part for me making sure they get that first precious drink from mum and know how to work her mini bar. Although the calves a pretty good on that front the alpaca cria though... I really feel sorry for camelids, they have to learn to stand on new legs then splay said legs and bend their long necks back in a convoluted curve just to get their mouth to where it needs to go. It's a very silly designed system if you ask me.
The cold and wet is always a danger, but so is the heat here when it's above +30c in summer dehydration can also be just as major a concern, till they get on their mum. But I had one calf wanting to drink, but her mother said no get lost and literally threw the little lady away from her with her horns, luckily with a mixture of bottle and getting her onto another cow who had lost a little one to a predator attack I was able to get her back on track again.
yup, luckily last enraged Bovine I dealt with the truck was his ire, guess he mistook it for another bull trying to get with the girls. I was assisting the farmer, was surprised when he drove on the field bad luck in timing guess some came to season early who knows but the truck didn't survive, many do not understand the raw power they can exert when they want to.
Yeah trying to get the idea across that their pent up desires can be relieved, if they just stay calm and don't break the fragile two legger can be the tricky part all to often. In my case I made a stupid mistake with a bull I knew was super horny at the time. Mind you after he broke my leg with his head he then proceeded to give me a lick and ask where his hand job was. To which I informed him his idea of foreplay might work with a 500kg cow, but not me.
