We started calving early in March with our new herd of Black Angus. This year birthing went much better than last year's herd of Welsh Black. The Black Angus are born more narrow in the shoulders and so we only had to assist two heifers. We had a very good success rate, only losing 3 calves. Life on the farm is more colourful than Facebook photos show and the reality is that death is part of the package. Life is hard and farming is harder!
The next new life that we were expecting this year was our first crop from our Quarter Horses. My son owns a handy little stallion that we pasture bred last summer with my daughter's retired barrel racing horse. Phoenix was a little racy mare, that took my eldest daughter around the province in the sport of rodeo. Unfortunately, like many big hearted athletes, a knee injury forced this horse into early retirement. This untimely event, however, gave us the opportunity to try breeding our Quarter Horses. We expect that these lines of horses will produce a smart athletic progeny. We look forward to seeing the fruit of that in the future!
The next crop we were waiting on was our goat kids. I enjoy raising a small flock of Cashmere goats, bred for their fine fleece and meat. Also, mixed into this flock we have 2 milk goats, who can keep us in good supply when we need to bottle feed. Last fall, I put our billy goats in with our does a little late for breeding and so we began kidding just before Mother's Day this year. The snow was gone (again) and we had a lot of water still on the ground. The first to kid was Willow a big full bodied white doe, 5 years old. She always threw twins without any assistance. This year, again she threw twin bucklings but both were born with assistance. A leg was stuck back with both. The next to kid was Doll, another mature Saanen cross. She threw twins as well, and needed assistance. One of the twins was not thriving. And so it continued. Each birth had complications. Some goatlings did not survive birth, others, only lasted 48 hours. One set of twins born hairless neonates. Another set of twins were born very weak and the other had an underbite and curved spine. This deformed little one cried like a little baby. I nursed it for 3 days and eventually it died. I wept over this little creature. All I could think about was that Father God had created this for a purpose, it showed me the heart of our heavenly Shepherd, a Father who weeps over his sick and deformed children. Such love and compassion does our Father have for us. He collects every one of our tears and stores them in a jar.
I was heart sick for all the goatlings who did not make it. I only have 2 survivors of this kidding storm. I am grateful for my healthy does, and for those 2 goatlings that are thriving; but, I had to seriously evaluate what had gone wrong with this kidding season. Was it environmental? Was it bacterial? Viral? What could so create such a storm and do so much damage? After much research, prayer and consultation from other breeders. I have deducted that the problem was a mineral deficiency--primarily iodine. Our soil in the north lacks salt, selenium and iodine. In previous years, I would feed a loose mineral supplement which the goats would have free access to in addition to hard salt licks. However, this previous mating season, I had to lodge a pair of sheep with my goats and was afraid to offer this loose supplement due to the sheep's intolerance to copper. (Sheep and goats have different needs).
Iodine, will affect the fetus' development of their thyroid and thus metabolism. This in turn results in weak goatlings, slow development, hairless neonates, deformities and all the infirmities I saw this kidding season. It was a hard Shepherd lesson. A little bit of salt with iodine could have made a world of difference!
Salt is the preserver of life! The good book (Bible) tells us that we are to be salt to the earth. How many people in your life are missing out on salt? We are to add flavor and help preserve the lives of those around us. Many people are walking around in this life weak and not thriving because they have not had any encouragement or salt! We need salt to encourage our thirst and we need to thirst for water (Living water). The good shepherd loves his flock, and provides for our every need.
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” Jn 7:37-39
I'm so glad that God didn't leave me weak and beguiling in my errors with my flock. I hope that my story will encourage you.
