From Sheep Ranch Intern to Sheep Owner
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
As my time with the Growing-WY Internship has come to an end, it is bittersweet. I was ready to go home and continue progressing in school but have come to find it harder than I expected. During my last week on the ranch we scrapie-tagged some ewes to be sold and continued to raise the bum lambs. We also built a small cage to put some buck lambs and ewe lambs in so I can take them back home!
This whole summer has taught me so many things that I can’t even begin to describe how lucky I was to be apart of the Growing-WY Internship Program. My hosts went above and beyond to make sure that I was well taken care of and always asked if there was anything else I needed. Working with sheep was a new experience for myself as I had never been around sheep, in this capacity, back home in Arkansas. During my time on the ranch, I learned about the livestock, but I also gained insights about myself.
Where I am from, it’s not common to hear people talking about sheep let alone working with sheep as I did. The firsthand experience I received was what I feel is “as good as it gets.” Many of the skills I learned include lambing, using a sheep hook to secure a ewe, doctoring, proper diet, how to identify sick and ill sheep, and so much more. Outside of working with the livestock I learned about wire-feed welding, stick welding, using a cutting torch, aviation, and horseback riding, just to name a few.
Being able to learn all of this information within the span of 3 months is truly incredible. This was my first internship, and I am not sure if this is how every internship works but I can say I LEARNED and did so many things I was not expecting. I would like to thank the Growing-WY Internship team, as well as my hosts for giving me a truly amazing opportunity. With everything I have learned, I feel equipped to be able to start a small sheep operation and help my family and friends incorporate sheep into their farms.
Submitted by: Elijah Richardson
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
