Do Your Sheep Do Drugs?

I’ve got to ask you a question.

The Boss and I exchanged glances as we instantly recognized that concerned look on our customer-friend's face.

 

“Did you know that there is an entire cooler full of vaccines and stuff at the local farm store? An entire cooler!”

Uh…yeah. We know. 

animal medication cooler at the farm store

You see, farmers occasionally need medications for their animals and the farm store is the only place to get them…well, I guess you could go to the vet…

“But, there’s so much!  Why would anyone use that stuff?  You don’t…do you? I mean, it’s not really necessary, is it? Why would you vaccinate animals?”

And we embark on another learning adventure at the Market.

First, let me say….YES. Yes to all the above questions.

…but, now you’ve got to listen to the explanation. Deal?

Yes, that might seem to be a lot of medication.  But, you must remember that animals outnumber people by a HUGE margin in our county.

In the Ag census of 2012, there were 137,797 head of cattle, 10,304 sheep and 1,347 pigs reported in Augusta County. Broilers and layers account for another 19,278,031 animals.  (this is just Augusta County, VA...)

Total animal population is nearly 19.5 MILLION! (again, just our county)

The latest census (2010) on human inhabitants puts our human population at just 73,750. (that's 73 THOUSAND...and that's all) 

    

We are definitely outnumbered!

just one little section of one little pharmacy

Have you ever thought about how many pharmacies are in the county?  Can you imagine what the stockpile of human medications might look like? And there are numerous pharmacies around the county. There are only a few farm stores in the area that stock animal medications.  And, as for the cooler-full…the medications lose their efficacy if they are not stored properly. (just an aside here for the record---the cooler at the farm store does not contain medications for poultry--those are kept elsewhere)

Without the possibility of medicating our animals WHEN THEY ARE SICK, we (and other farmers) would lose lots of them. If we didn’t vaccinate against known pathogens, we would lose even more. Not only would this cause needless suffering to the animals and significant loss to the farmers, eventually consumers would be left without food…or at the very least prices would skyrocket as supply dwindled.

…and YES, we do “use that stuff”.  I have watched animals die because I wasn’t a good steward of their health (illness was not treated in time/or at all) or I was ignorant of good health protocol…and I do NOT ever want to go through those experiences ever again. EVER.

No one uses medications without a great deal of thought and consideration.  First it wouldn’t be economically prudent (that stuff costs $) and there is no known benefit to using them needlessly. But, if the choice is medication or death, I’m going with medication…every. single. time.

Do you know what these are?
vaccine, antibiotic, nutrient supplement and pain med
can save lives when used properly

The diseases we vaccinate our animals for are very real and…very deadly.  By vaccinating the animals, we protect them (and quite possibly ourselves).  This is just good stewardship. I do not understand why vaccines for farm animals routinely come into question when nearly everyone vaccinates their dogs and cats without issue. And, while I realize that human vaccinations have recently come under fire...they do indeed save countless lives.

We vaccinate the sheep against clostridial diseases.  This type of organism is found in all of nature and thrives in dark, anaerobic (without air) environments and causes some awful diseases.

There is an ugly side to nature (all those germs and stuff) that is not so pristine and lovely.  There are a lot of things in nature that will indeed kill you dead...deader than a doorknob...dead. 

And, just in case you haven’t noticed...the vast majority of the four-legged animals  here in the county live OUTSIDE, where they also void and defecate and are not generally at all concerned with personal hygiene. We can't just ask them to stay clean and safe...germs are everywhere.

Healthy livestock is crucial to our life and livelihood and our animals depend upon us for good care.  Occasionally that means that medications must be used. Meds are never used indiscriminately. There are withdrawal times and usage guidelines.  And, you should know the USDA inspects all meats offered for retail sale. 

Bottom line---there are lots of animals, so there is a lot of medication.

So, yeah…we did know there’s a cooler full of meds at the farm store.  We give thanks for it all the time!

It’s just part of our animal health toolbox that allows us to grow good food for ourselves and our customers.

When Customer-Friend left that day, it was with a new appreciation for the knowledge and husbandry that goes into putting food on the table...as well as a repeat purchase of some of the most delicious lamb chops that ever graced a grill.

Moral of the story:  
Ask the Farmer about the practices in question...and you will gain a whole new perspective on the situation!

**Oh, and for the record…vaccinations and antibiotics are NOT (I repeat NOT) hormones.   I’ll get to that subject some other day.**

Read the Ag Census for Augusta County HERE.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Walkabout 3-8

So, did you SPRING forward?

I'm thankful for that the computer and phones change themselves, I'll spend the day trying to get the other clocks caught up...and stop the pendulum on the living room clock from banging with every stroke.

…and that will be my only mention of the change to daylight savings time.  Other than to say that this entire week will be affected by our trying to figure out what time it is…and why we are late for everything!  I have given up trying to explain the concept at the barn.

The big factor in farm work this past week was weather, not time. (because we all know there is NEVER enough time to get everything done)   I think Winter was getting one last blast in there before retreating. Well, at least that’s what I’m hoping.

We had some ice and a little snow early in the week that didn’t live up to the predictions. (yay) There was a little break in the action. Then, all eyes turned to a much bigger threat toward the end of the week. The forecast got a little more dire with every update.

The Boss decided to take advantage of the “lull” and get the pullets moved to the hen house. A very necessary, somewhat nasty job.  It’s amazing how quickly they grow from tiny chicks.  Some of them are already laying eggs! 

We caught them, banded them (a different color leg band on each batch of chickens helps us to identify them later) and transported them to the henhouse.  They will stay in their own portion for a couple of weeks until they acclimate.  Then, they will join the flock.  We have found that the “acclimation process” helps them to learn to come back in the henhouse at night and cuts down on the whole “pecking order” thing a little.  Well…in theory, anyway.(did you read this?)

legband

ready to move

moving in

henhouse on a snowy day

we had some "supervisors"

With that task out of the way, the Boss could turn his attention to cleaning out the brooder.  Which, I must say, was totally, utterly disgusting. But, it will make a wonderful addition to the compost pile!

Unfortunately, the weather turned again, and he did not get to hose it out and complete the cleaning job. (It needs to be clean…really clean…before the broiler chicks can go there to live) 

a lamb in a tee-shirt checking out chicks in a pool
...everyday occurrences here on the hill!

So…yes, the broiler chicks (in their little chickie pool) are still in the shop, along with the lambs (in their modified play pen).  It not only looks like a cross between a pet shop and a zoo in there…it smells like it, too!  Our biggest concern at this point is that they will all escape and we will have lambs and chicks everywhere. “Dash-the-ram-lamb” gets SO excited when he knows his bottle is coming that he crashes THROUGH the pen and comes running toward me.  Yesterday, he followed me into the walk-in cooler. 

Getting the livestock out of the shop is definitely job#1 for the upcoming week!

Thursday, we got another 8 inches of snow.  

This put a bit of a crimp into the plan of working the sheep.  Not only is it not at all pleasant to handle wet sheep, the entire handling system (a bunch of connected gates) was covered in snow and ice and frozen to the ground. (the snow pouring from the sky was another issue)  Another job postponed! The “to-do” list for the upcoming week is growing by the minute.

It was a very pretty snow, but it was followed by some incredibly COLD air.  So…it didn’t even begin to melt…and frigid temperatures cause other problems.

"Girlfriend" has definite issues with the snow!

...and I'm pretty sure "Waylon" is tired if the icicles, too!

Cold temperatures this time of year are a huge concern. 

ZERO at choretime

 We have thousands of little seedlings in the greenhouses and keeping them alive is my top priority. 

broccoli sprout

baby broccoli plant

lettuce

pepper plants

more broccoli

Amazingly, despite the fact that the temperature was ZERO and the wind was blowing furiously, the little “milkhouse” heaters in the greenhouse kept the plants warm and growing. Believe me, I did a little happy dance when I checked the numerous thermometers. Now, begins the challenge of keeping the greenhouses warm at night, but yet ventilated and irrigated during the daylight hours. More stories from the greenhouse will be forthcoming.

It's "warm" !

With our downtown deliveries completed, another week has come to an end.  So, we’ll make a new plan for the upcoming week, trying to fit in all the things we didn’t get done last week and working around a weather forecast that includes a lot of raindrops…and the arrival of MUD season.

the icicles are still hanging on

But, in the meantime…

Here’s to a Happy Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by to visit.  Please come on back again real soon!

Are you on Instagram?  You can follow us there, too.  I’ve been trying to post a photo every day…please follow us! https://instagram.com/homesteadhillfarm/ 

And, if you want to see even more photos…check out Flickr. 

The Boss’ page has cool shots of the farm and the surrounding area. https://www.flickr.com/photos/t_leighton_womack/

The farm has its own page as well.

Homestead Hill Farm

A Respite from Winter

In my informal polling, EVERYONE is tired of Winter.

(okay, so I really didn't ask that many people...and I certainly didn't interview the snow lovers)

But, the snow has been around FORever.  It's no longer pristine and beautiful.  The huge piles have become grey and ugly...and completely immovable.  And, the forecasters are calling for more.

We really need a break from the cold and a change from the white landscape would be nice, too.  But, since it's just the two of us working here on the hill, we can't just pick up and head to the islands or someplace warm...or even be gone overnight...

The next best thing is a visit the local nursery.

Yesterday while running some other errands, we took a little side-trip to Milmont Greenhouses.  It was such a treat to breathe in the warm, moist air...and the scent of the damp earth.  The bright colors almost hurt our eyes after days and days of squinting against the harsh light reflecting off the snow. Listening to the water fountains was so relaxing...I could have stayed all afternoon.  (but, there were chores to do...)

Just in case the Winter has gotten to you, too...here's a little dose of Springtime color.

LOVE the water features!

don't know what this one is called
I really like the color!

begonias

cyclamen

gernaniums

green orchid

hyacinths almost ready to bloom

hydrangea

orchid

oxalis
sold as shamrocks for St. Patrick's day

cheerful pansies

purple oxalis

Red Geraniums

Isn't this little succulent amazing?

We purchased a couple of pretty plants to brighten up the windowsill and headed back to the hill with a renewed hope that Spring truly is coming. Although, I admit, that is hard to believe when you look at the view.

view of the mountains from the nursery

Think Spring...it's only 16 days...12 hours...and 52 minutes! (give or take)

 THIS certain brightens up the windowsill!

Hope this brightened your wintry day, too.