Today as I’m shoveling out the feed bunks, walking through mounds of snow, and checking calves for snotty noses, I realized that farming isn’t always a ‘walk in the park’.

It’s hard work everyday and some work isn’t that fun.

I absolutely HATE filling the barn. Making small square bales is seriously a pain in my butt. I know it’s easier and more convenient during the winter, but when I’m sweating like a pig in the middle of summer, I kind of forget why I’m really doing it. I just think about how much this sucks and how I could somehow break the small square baler without dad noticing.

Curse you small square bales.

Treating sick calves is not fun. It’s not hard or anything, I just hate seeing them sick. Treating them is the best thing to do, but when they don’t feel good, all I want to do is pet them and make them feel better. It kinda tears at my heart stings. I’m these calves mom. I want to make them feel better RIGHT now.

Dad giving shots to a new baby. These shots prevent the calves from getting deathly viruses.

Shoveling corn/grinding feed. Boy is that not fun. I just love getting corn dust in my throat, having a coughing attack, and shoveling corn so fast that it could be an Olympic sport. It has to be done though, but it doesn’t mean I can’t complain about how annoying it is to do. Every. Other. Day.

Having to sell one of your favorite animals. Sometimes animals just need to be sold. They aren’t strong enough to live anymore and you have to say good-bye. It’s my least favorite part of being a farmer. It’s a horrible feeling to say good-bye. It’s like saying ‘bye’ to one of your best friends. My cows mean so much to me and they all have a different personality and I grow to love each and every one of them. (Expect the ones named Crazy and Killer, those two aren’t on my top 10 favorite list.)

My first bull that I had to sell. Very sad day for me.

Hauling manure. This isn’t a hard job at all. Most days I just stand there and watch the gate. I just really hate standing there, smelling poop all day. That’s all.

Sorting cattle is NO easy task. Everyone has their own way of doing it. It’s like a work of art to get cattle sorted. Cattle know when you’re coming after them to get sorted and they RUN for it. You have to think before they can think. Everyone is yelling at each other and things are so intense. Sorting cattle is more intense than taking every finals test in college. I think I would rather take tests than sort cattle. I seriously hate having an adrenaline rush all day while we’re sorting. You have to be on your toes, thinking like a cow, have reflexes like a cat, and ears like, well something that hears really well. And if you let one get by you, WATCH OUT, someones going to be yelling at you for messing up. At least this is how it is at my house. Oh the joys of farming with family. 😉

Choring in the extreme heat/cold. Do I really need to go into detail? This just really sucks. You have to do everything you do everyday no matter what the temperature. You have to do even more when it’s extreme temperatures. You have to make sure everything is working correctly and that all the animals are okay–you can freeze, but your babies sure as hell can’t. My father, the 60 year old, is out in extreme weather everyday. He never complains.

These bunks SUCK to clean out after a blizzard. But those faces are well worth it.

Giving corn stock bales to the babies in the winter. Corn stalk bales are used as bedding for the babies in the winter to keep them warm. I thoroughly love the after math of giving it to them, but unrolling that sucker is tough. I swear I get the skid-steer stuck every time. Then I have to get the 3020 to pull it out. By the time I get all that done, the calves have already scattered it. In. One. Area. out of four. So then I have to hear my dad ask, “Well why didn’t you put it in the other corners?”. Oh the joys. But watching my babies play in the bale and getting all excited and having fun is worth having to answer my dad’s silly question! 🙂

Wondering why I love farming if there are certain things that I hate doing? Because I LOVE IT! No one’s job is perfect. Mine sure as hell isn’t. That’s what makes it FUN! Everyday is a new day, a new challenge, a new piece to the puzzle, a new beginning, and a new adventure. While reading the things that I said aren’t fun you probably realized that I had a joke after each one. That’s because I make everything on the farm fun. Throwing square bales is probably one of the most fun family days around. Ya it’s hard work, but I just like to think of all the calories I’m burning. Farming is worth the hard days because the good days are REALLY good days.

I love my farming life! (I was supposed to be checking the cows. Ooops. Sorry dad, photo opp came along!)