I became Mom at 17yrs old and had three kids by the age of 21. All the while, I was also doing the chores on the farm while my husband traveled to livestock auctions being a broker near and far. Over the years we have had sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, horses, dogs, cats, and cattle. In addition to those main stock we have had a few additional animals like llamas, alpaca’s, donkey’s, buffalo’s, fainting goats, zebu’s, pot bellied pigs, and peacocks. We couldn’t always afford to take each of our animals to the vet so I read a lot of books: Merrick’s Veterinary Manual (a classic), Paula Simmons Raising Sheep the Modern Way, Paula Simmons Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep, Phillip Keller A Shepherd’s Look at Psalms 23 (every lambing season). I was also blessed to have a dear friend who would come over when things were complicated. She was a vet and taught myself and children how to navigate when a ewe was prolapsing how to save both Mom and baby, amongst many other techniques. Sharon helped me save my horses leg when he got tangled up into barbed wire.
My curiosity and tenacity in the medical field kept me asking questions I guess it wasn’t just with animals. When I took the kids to the doctor, I asked him lots of questions. We talked about the kids and about the animals. He had raised sheep too. He would smile and answer my questions. He nicknamed me, Farmwife101. Life on the farm can be intense. It has prepared me for many of the very challenging experiences over the years. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world!