Welcome to Our World (and Goodbye …)
Despite the cold, damp, and icy weather, late winter through early spring is an exciting season at Dry Hollow Farm as we welcome a passel of lambs and kids to the farm.
Kidding and lambing season is one of our favorite times on the farm calendar, and like most livestock owners, we fill our website and social media pages with galleries of little-one photos and videos.
These galleries are misleading.
Our last activity outside at night before heading to bed is a quick barn check for new arrivals. Our first activity of a morning is the same. As we near the barn opening, we listen expectantly for the tiny bleat of newborns struggling to stand, follow their mamas, and begin life. Sometimes we are fortunate to arrive at the time of birth and watch the entire process unfold. We take photos and video clips of the little ones, carefully monitor for nursing success, and hunt for them later when their mothers hide them in the hay.
Why? Because we rarely share (or post) our failures. People new to livestock care may not realize that the disappointments of birthing season counterbalance the successes. This past week was especially difficult as we lost our oldest doe when she went into labor deep in the middle of a cold night. We walked to the barn in the predawn darkness to discover neither she, nor her twins, survived. The next day, another doe dropped twins and walked away from them without breaking their amniotic sacs. Neither took their first breath. A third doe could not pass her fetus (deceased), and we spent precious time in below-freezing temperatures with one hand buried deep in her uterus attempting to turn the little one into position for birthing as she pushed in pain.
These are the photos you will not see, the social media posts never made.
Remember when you scroll past photos of newborn goats, sheep, calves, foals, and chicks that not every birth ends in a beautiful moment. We celebrate the healthy newborns, but accept the moments of sadness as well. Both are a vital part of raising animals, and new livestock owners must be prepared for both experiences.
So, welcome to our world.
And, goodbye …
Dr. Kathryn Bush owns and operates Dry Hollow Farm, a working goat and sheep farm in Huntingdon, Tennessee. Together with her husband, Russell, she creates skincare products from their fresh goat milk, grows organic herbs, welcomes visitors to their two cabins on the farm (available for stays through Airbnb), keeps the farm’s on-site soap shop stocked with their handcrafted products, and enjoys working the farm in company with their Great Pyrenees dogs (who work hard guarding the animals). Check out their natural products featuring farm-grown ingredients here, and sign up for the Dry Hollow Farm newsletter to stay in touch and be the first to hear about farm news, events, and new products.