With winter finally seeming to be coming to a close, It has got me thinking back on our journey to where we are now. Every now and again I become a little homesick. Homesick for my nieces and nephews, my sisters and brother and parents who are all back in MN, 300 miles away from me. Even though it is hard to be away from them, we FaceTime daily and see each other fairly often, which makes things a little easier. My parents come up whenever possible!
Watching my own children take on ranch life at such a young age, has been a great indicator to Lance and I that we made the right decision moving here. I also reflect on my own personal growth within the last 4 years. I have begun to spread my wings and soak everything in. Meeting some dear friends and learning from Lance as we begin to be able to work together more with our herd.
It has been wonderful seeing Lance tackle this adventure and really dive into learning about our breed and all the ins and outs of what is best for them! He is providing and doing what he loves. In the hard times we remember what we’ve built and how far we’ve come. All in all I love seeing him do what he loves, and secretly I one day hope to be as good as he is at ranching!
Chores around the ranch for the boys include helping bottle feed and taking care of the new mammas’ water and checking the corrals for babies. They love helping by riding in the skid steer and feeding hay.
Their little sister is the lover of the lambs who gets to warm them up in the house!
Ranching is not for the faint of heart. A verse has been on my mind the last few days, I want to share with you.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. In the hard times where we question our decisions, or wonder how we will make it, this verse helps me through! His plans are so much bigger and BETTER! He is for you, not against you!
We have many different colors within our lambs this year! It is so neat how they all come out looking! Usually we are very hands off when helping deliver. We watch the cameras (we have 5) and use binoculars to view the outdoor corral. We check them by walking the corral multiple times a day as well. Currently we have 7 bottle lambs who get fed 4 times a day.
When ewes are in labor, they typically paw the ground forcefully, stand up and sit down multiple times. They tend to isolate themselves away from others. Lambs are typically presented in a superman position with both front hooves and a nose coming first. Any other position and the ewe will probably need some assistance. So we are continuously on the look out for struggling ewes. If we are assisting, we try to pull when she pushes. Long pulls, grabbing the hooves. Lambing is so rewarding but also exhausting!
As always, thank you for lending an ear to my articles! For more stories you can find us on Facebook at: MyrvikFamilyFarms or myrvikfarms@gmail.com. We sell our lamb direct to consumer, breeding stock, restaurant distribution and bundles.
