When I was younger, I worked on a pig farm for a neighbour. It was only a part time job and something to earn me a little pocket money.

The farmer had no sentiment when it came to livestock. If anything was not performing or was in poor health, he would put it down. I found this extremely hard. I would be of the mindset to give everything a chance.

I used to take some pigs home and try to save them. The farmer used to laugh at me for doing this. Some of them did survive and grow on to be reasonable pigs, but most of them eventually died (after I had spent a lot of time and money trying to keep them alive).

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However, I have never really learnt my lesson. I would still be of the opinion that I should do my best to try to save my livestock.

Poor-doer

Probably like most farmers, every year I have an issue with an animal (if I tell the truth, there is often more than one), where I probably should have put it down at the very start. They are either a poor-doer or have had some other long-term issue.

I have recently got one of these animals as far as slaughter.

It was always behind the others, but I persevered and at three years of age I got it to the factory.

It was light and did not come into a lot of money, but at least it was something. When I counted everything, it probably only broke-even at best.

However, it got me thinking about all the other ones around the farm.

Sunburn

I have a heifer that took sunburn as a calf (it’s now about 16 months old).

I had to bring it and the mother into the house for a while. When I thought I had it going well I would put it back with the rest of the cattle but then it would relapse again. This went on for months and several times I contemplated euthanasia, but I hadn’t the heart. Last summer I decided to try it outside again. For about a month it did well, but then it took sunburn again and I had to put it back into the house. I got it going again, but the problem was that it was taking up a pen and I was spending a lot of time looking after it.

In September I decided that I had enough of this and I put it outside again. Either it would live or die, but I was not going to waste any more time or energy on it.

It has done well since and it may eventually make it. It is about 200kg lighter than the rest of its batch and has cost me a lot more to get this far. Having said that, I still regard it as a success.

Calf

I have another calf this year that was born out in the field in August and was doing really well. Then a cow came into heat and jumped on it and hurt its back.

For weeks it dragged itself around the field not able to properly get up. The mother would stand over it and let it suckle. However, it did eventually start to get up and walk around the field.

It now walks around reasonably well, but if rushed then it will fall over and have trouble getting up again. I fear it’s never going to be able to be housed along with the rest of the cattle.

So, at the moment I have these few things in the yard that are taking up valuable space and time. I do question myself as to whether I am wise or not. Sometimes I think that I would be better putting these animals down.

Most farmers probably have animals like these from time to time and I am sure they go through the same thoughts as I do. But right or wrong, my main emotion is that if there’s life there’s hope.