I Am Not A Sheep Midwife

I am not a sheep midwife. I am neither a shepherd nor a goat herder. I am a sophisticated city girl who grew up in Detroit, Michigan.

I love petting the fur of a soft puppy or kitten as much as the next person. But being kicked and pushed by filthy sheep ready to give birth is NOT my idea of a good time.

My daughter, Rochelle, and her family left me in charge of their mini-farm while they were in Hawaii enjoying the sand and sea. My responsibilities included caring for their sheep, goats, five dogs, a horse, and a cat.

Before leaving for their trip, they informed me that they will soon be getting two cows and a llama. The next time I come to ‘visit’ I will have a few more responsibilities. 

“Mom, you will love it. They are so much fun, and it only takes a few minutes twice a day to feed and water them.” Good to know.

I Wasn't Expecting This...

Upon arrival at the farm, I was informed that two of the sheep were pregnant and could give birth any day soon. "But don't worry Mom, there shouldn't be any problems. If you see the mama is struggling and there is a little leg sticking out of her, just give it a gentle tug."

I wanted to scream, “Are you kidding me? Have you met your mother?”

She proceeded to instruct me on how to clean the babies, disinfect the umbilical cord, encourage the babies to nurse, clean the stalls properly and……it was a non-ending list. So much for a few minutes of work each day.

I listened carefully but was not hearing her. I was still in shock that two pregnant sheep may give birth under my watch. 

I had a C-section when my daughter was born and have never witnessed a birth. There was not any pulling, pushing, or mess to clean up. I decided to put the neighbor farmer on speed dial. I am good at watching – not performing farm tasks.

My First Night Alone

My daughter. This is a girl who is a gemologist and worked for one of the largest diamond companies in the city. She traded in her high heels for heavy work boots. I do not get it.

But she loves it and is good at it. The animals love her. The goats hug her. The ram listens to her and the sheep follow her as if she were their shepherd -- I guess she is! 

On my first night alone, I put the animals in their shelter for the night when I heard a noise at the front door. Two goats had escaped their pen, jumped the fence, and came to visit me. Goats have an insatiable appetite. I grabbed some hay and walked back to their shelter.

They stayed very close to me trying to eat the hay I was carrying and playing a game called, “Let’s see if we can trip the old lady.” 

When I opened the gate to get out of the pen area, the ram decided he would escape, run to the neighboring field and visit some other girl sheep. Absolutely NO amount of coercing, pulling, or pushing would bring him back. He was large and extremely strong – acting much like a bully.

More Fun Than I Thought!

I ran back to the shelter, put a rope on one of the sheep, and walked her back to the area where the ram was. He was thrilled to see her. I bent over to pick some hay from the ground as a further temptation for him when I remembered the first rule of caring for sheep. Never, ever, bend over with your back to a ram. 

Covered in hay and poop, I pulled myself up hanging on to the rope around the sheep's neck in one hand and some hay in another. 

The next morning I ached in places I did not know existed. That was day one. It rained the next day. Walking in slippery sheep and goat poop is more fun than you have imagined. 

Ten days later when my daughter and family returned home, I had everything under control. I had to admit it was more fun than thought possible. Will I help her next year when they go on vacation? Absolutely – without a moment’s hesitation.