02/15/2021
*copied and altered. I will gladly give credit to original source, if they come forward*
I often get people commenting on how amazing my life must be to have all these animals. That it must be nice to come home and spend time with all of them. How jealous they are that I am living their dream life.
My usual response is yeah it’s pretty awesome but.. it’s just.. it’s a lot. What do you mean it’s a lot?
Well I mean it’s a lot.. a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot physically and emotionally.
People only see the pictures I post on social media platforms. Which is generally the perfect cute and funny snap shot for likes and hearts. But What y’all don’t see is what is behind the scenes.
You don’t see the time put into your full time job before coming home and starting your second job.
You don’t see the hours spent out in the barn cleaning stalls. Setting stalls for the night.
You don’t see the time spent loading and unloading hay, sawdust, grain bags.
You don’t see the hard work put into building pastures, putting up fencing and shelters.
You don’t see the work put into maintaining and growing pastures.
You don’t see the time spent in caring for these animals in extreme heat & cold.
You don’t see the time spent grooming and maintaining general care.
You don’t see the time spent worrying about them, making sure they are happy and healthy.
You don’t see the time spent sitting with a sick goat or kid for hrs wondering if he/she is going to pull through.
You don’t see the feed bills or vet bills.
You don’t see all the hard work sometimes ending is tragic heartbreak and tears.
You don’t see the time lost with family and friends. (Not including the family disagreements that comes along with farming.)
The list could go on and on....this is only scratching the surface.
Most people will never see or understand the behind the scenes of owning livestock. It’s not all glamour shots and cute fluffy animals. It’s work and a lot of it. I hope to share some small insight on what goes into it.
But would I change it? Would I give it all up? Hell no. This is the lifestyle I CHOOSE to live. Would I have more free time? Yes. Would I have more money? Yes. Would I have less stress? Hell Yes!!! But.. would I be HAPPY? The answer to that is NO. These animals give me life, happiness, and strength. They are a huge part of who I am.
