Coping with Loss
Any farmer will tell you that the loss of an animal is inevitable. I should note, the animals we raise are not for meat specifically but rather raised for the “product” they produce (wool, honey, eggs).
In 2021, we lost about half of our Wyandotte flock plus several guinea hens to bobcat predation. It was only a matter of a day or two, and we were shocked that the guineas were even caught considering they can fly into trees and are typically quite wary of any changes or trespassers in the area. Our flocks have always been able to free range, but once we realized what was happening we were quick to put up some electric net fence. While the fence did stop that specific predation, it’s not the ideal solution. Something is always going to want to eat your flock, whether it’s a raccoon, fox, or other predator. And if you have a free range flock, you will almost certainly come across a situation where you will have to deal with predators sooner or later.
Through our beekeeping experiences, we have had mixed success with overwintering our hives. A commercial beekeeper in our area said that if you can keep 50% of your hives alive through the winter, that is considered a huge success. This last winter was a particularly rough one in our area and, as a result, we lost all four of our hives. It’s so tough to crack open the boxes in the warmth of spring only to see thousands of dead honeybees. We have some new plans to try this winter to improve survival chances and will be providing updates in a year or so. We have eight hives this year, and hope to add some swarms if they come into our area like they have the past couple years.
Coco and Cali
I learned the hard way how “fragile” sheep are compared to other farm critters. The lucky ones live out a full, happy life and pass on peacefully. Unfortunately, that isn’t often the case. I can speak to it personally, as I lost three of my beautiful Icelandic sheep over one single winter season. We got our first two sheep in the summer of 2020. A friend contacted Allen to say that they had a ewe who was far too small to breed and even too small to bother butchering, and they wondered if we wanted to take her off their hands. They would also be sending another ewe lamb because sheep are social animals and don’t cope well with being solo. We picked up the two ewes and that quickly started my passion for sheep. Beans was the small ewe lamb, just a brown and white spotted little puffball. The other ewe lamb, Betty, was pure white and quite the majestic little lady. Our first year with them was one learning experience after another, and I was so excited to add two more ewe lambs from the same flock in summer 2021. The two new babies, Coco and Calla Lily (Cali for short!) fit in quickly and it made my heart feel so full to look out and see all four grazing together.
“It’s a good lesson that prevention is key when it comes to sheep.”
One day in December, just two days before Christmas, I went out for my daily sheep check and Cali was clearly unwell. One side of her face was covered in drool, her eye unfocused, and her head was drooping. After some googling and a call with my vet, we determined it was Listeriosis. Sadly, there isn’t really much you can do to treat a sheep with Listeriosis and she had passed on less than 24 hours from symptom onset. Not even a month later, Coco went through almost exactly the same sickness and death down to every detail. It was hard to go through because I had been meticulous with giving clean water daily and buying high-quality and properly processed hay, but the truth is that there were just too many risk factors and Listeria can come from the ground or air and there isn’t anything you can do to 100% remove the risk. It’s more likely to happen to young sheep, and chances are increased during colder conditions.
In March of 2022, we experienced another great loss when Beans suddenly died. Once again it was a situation where the time between the onset of symptoms and death was less than 24 hours. The only thing I noticed was that she had a slight hitch in her breathing — nothing else and certainly not something that seemed serious. I thought she may have just eaten her grain too quickly and had a piece lodged that needed to move down. The following morning, I found her dead and after researching a bit and talking with my vet, it was clear that she had caught something in the CDT family of sicknesses. In all cases, my sheep didn’t show any symptoms until it was too late for treatment. It’s a good lesson that prevention is key when it comes to sheep.
“Honestly, a lot of it comes down to understanding that you just can’t control every single thing and to give your animals the best chance possible.”
I take a small comfort knowing I gave those girls a better life than they would have otherwise had — premium food, daily attention and affection, and the best care I knew how to give. And sometimes you can do everything as right as you know how and it still won’t be enough. So how do I deal with the loss? Honestly, a lot of it comes down to understanding that you just can’t control every single thing and to give your animals the best chance possible. Things like practicing good hygiene, vaccinating for what is appropriate for your location, and knowing what to look out for with any behavior changes. Do what you can to build a good, supportive community that you can reach out to when things like this happen. Most are more than willing to share knowledge, provide a shoulder to cry on, and share the burden that comes from caring for animals.
