Dailey Bred Farm

Bad Homesteader

{ 10:46, Sunday, April 13, 2008 } { 2 comments } { Link }

I was a terrible homesteader today. It's a sad fact, but I must admit it. I have raised goats for quite a few years, but haven't ever had Nigerian babies born on our farm. They are just so tiny! The time came to disbud them, which is my least favorite chore of the whole year, and I just couldn't do it. I only have a full sized iron and while it would do the job with multiple burns, I just couldn't bring myself to do it to those little bitty heads. Last weekend a very nice man who raises LOTS of Nigerians offered to do it for us with his smaller iron and I jumped on the chance. The trouble is that put it off another week and the poor little bucklings horns were really, really big and it took a very long time to do the job. I vow here and now to never do that to another baby animal.

It's kind of like disciplining my children.....I do not enjoy having to punish them, but I know that if I don't it now, it will be more painful later on. Because as a child I felt my father was a little heavy handed in his punishment, I was often too light, but now as I have been at this parenting thing a little longer, I see that we have to do what we think is best at the time. What is different about Daddy and I is that I have a huge, helpful resource that he didn't use....prayer. Remembering to utilize that resource is sometimes tough in the heat of the moment, but that's what I'd like to be able to do consistantly!

Lord, please help me to be a better steward of the animals I have chosen to care for, but so much more to be the best parent I can be to the four small arrow-gifts you gave.
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You are not a bad homesteader.

{ 12:42, Monday, April 14, 2008 } { Posted by poppy }
At least you were not hiding like Maddie and I. I did not like hearing the poor babies crying. It makes me weary about doing it to my babies in June. Poor Nubians. Poor Nigers. I do not want to do it, I will have even more babies, which means more crying.

~Mary-Ann~

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{ 06:12, Wednesday, April 16, 2008 } { Posted by Schatzi }
What a beautiful post...you are so right about disciplining our children...it must be right away, not "when your father gets home"....as for the goats...I have no idea what you were talking about....but I'm sure it was painful for the little guys.

Have a blessed evening.

Connie

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Dailey Bred Farm

Bad Homesteader

You are not a bad homesteader.

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