Langreck: Farming is not for the faint of heart

I’ve been around the agriculture industry since the day I was born and I’ve learned so many lessons over the years, many good ones that impacted the life path I took, but also several lessons that were hard to understand.

Sadly, my son, Graham, a few weeks ago had to learn one of the harder lessons that are associated with the agriculture industry, especially for those who raise and show livestock.

Before Graham was old enough to be in 4-H, my parents were still raising sheep and letting local 4-H members show the sheep. Graham started showing sheep at the All-American and other open shows when he was around 6 years old.

He made sure everyone knew his sheep that stayed at his grandparents was named Princess, and just like a lot of individuals that raise and own livestock, he formed a bond with her.

Even though Princess was too old for Graham to show when he was old enough to be in 4-H, he would still go out to the pasture to see her, and somehow when she was mixed in with a dozen other sheep, Graham could still pick her out. Even more impressive is the fact that Princess would always go to Graham automatically when she saw him.

Over the past several years, Princess has birthed quite a few sheep for my parents and Graham, a few of which Graham has shown in 4-H. Last year, Princess had triplets, and she was looking like she was carrying triplets again this year.

Graham was super excited, and this year he was at my parents when it was time to get Princess moved away from the rest of the flock and into a pen where she could safely deliver her lambs.

However, my mom called one day last week to say that Princess was having a difficult labor, unlike in past years. After consulting with our vet and Princess being in labor for quite a bit of time, the vet came out to do an emergency cesarean section.

Princess had twisted her uterus, which is why she hadn’t been able to deliver her babies. She had twins, both of which had already passed away before their delivery, but she was so big because one of the lambs weighed close to 17 pounds.

The vet was able to finish the procedure, allowing her to untwist the uterus, and sewed her up. She left directions for my dad to help Princess make a full recovery. Graham was sad Princess had lost her babies, but was glad she was going to be OK.

Princess was showing promising signs of getting better. Then last Thursday, I got a call from my mom right as Graham was getting ready to walk out to the school bus. Princess hadn’t made it through the night, and I didn’t realize Graham hadn’t left for the bus yet and he heard me.

Graham knows that livestock passing away is part of farming, but he had been really attached to Princess and started crying when he heard the news.

I felt so bad that he found out like that, and he was sad for quite a few days, but he got to spend some time this past weekend with some of the baby lambs that had been born by other sheep we have and it seemed to help cheer him up.

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but one that happens quite often with livestock, and no matter how many times it happens, it’s never easy losing livestock.