The Circle of Life

There is something about the cycle of life that gives a literal heart beat to a farm, no matter the size. And although there are heartaches when babies suffer complications and die, there is nothing like the joy when all goes well.

It’s more than just the thrill of watching a newly delivered baby struggle to its wobbly legs in search of the first meal and nuzzling by its mother. It is the knowledge of a process that has gone well. It is the study of pedigrees and animal confirmation and data and genetics. It is making the most informed decisions possible and then hoping for the best. Then waiting begins. And the waiting, and waiting a little more.

For sheep the wait is 145 days, a few days shorter for goats and only 113 days for hogs. Those in the cattle business wait nine months to see the result of their decisions.

And making those mating decisions are important. Done right, and when all the genetic stars align, an awesome animal can be the result. One with thickness, muscle, eye appeal that grows fast and in the case of the dairy industry, results in a lot of milk.

We focus a segment of our farm on raising animals for our kids to show as their 4-H projects. We have a small group of sows, meat goats and as of last year, sheep. We have cattle as well, but the kids have decided that they prefer to show the smaller animals.

Raising a top show animal is difficult. There is a lot that goes into making a champion – and most of it starts at the very beginning when the baby is born. We have been lucky to have raised some good show animals, including a reserve grand champion meat goat at the Kansas State Fair.

While many of the animals that the kids show are market animals, those destined to be harvested for their meat, there are a few occasions that they take breeding animals or the females. It is special when an animal has finished its career in the showring and comes home to the farm to be a part of the cycle of life.

Such is the case with Dee Dee. This would be one of my son Kyle’s first ewes. She was purchased in an auction in the spring of 2009. He picked her out from all the lambs that were for sale that particular day. He nodded at the auctioneer to register his bid, and even went $25 past the limit I had established with him when discussing the possible purchase of the ewe. In every sense of the word, this ewe was his.

And even though she didn’t win any grand awards, nor was she his favorite to use in the showmanship competition – where the youth are evaluated on their skills presenting the animal to the judge – this ewe was special.

After the State Fair, the couple who had raised Dee Dee offered to take her back and get her bred to one of their bucks – thus starting the whole cycle of life. Kyle jumped at the opportunity. So after a period of a couple of months, the call came that the ewe was pregnant and was ready to come back home. Then the waiting began. And the watching. The calendar date had been marked, so we might be prepared for the new arrival.

About a week before the anticipated due date the ewes were moved up into the barn, as bad weather had been forecast and no changes were to be taken for the chance for the baby lamb to be born in the middle of the night or during a bit of cold weather that could have been fatal.

We watched as her belly grew poochy and round and her little utter filled up, providing sure signs that a baby was soon to be arriving. Or babies if we were lucky.

And today was the day. Middle of the afternoon Dee Dee went into labor and delivered a bouncing baby, cute and cuddly little ram lamb. And Kyle couldn’t be more excited. It will only take time to determine if he’ll be the choice of one of the kids to show during the year as their 4-H project.