What would the majority of Americans be doing on a hot, humid, calm, Sunday afternoon in the middle of July? The average American was probably not doing what I was doing a few weeks ago. After attending church, I walked outside, and it was so hot, that it almost took my breath away.

The first thing I thought of was what affect this hot weather was having on my sow herd. Instead of being able to have a nice Sunday dinner with my family and taking my Sunday afternoon nap, I went to check on my sows. Everything looked o.k. until I got to the part of the barn that housed the sows that were due to farrow the next week. As you can imagine, those sows were pretty miserable due to being so pregnant. I spent the next hour watering them down to get them cooled off.

That is how it works on the farm with livestock. Sometimes, livestock take priority over family time. I’m not complaining, because this is the life that I chose to live. Livestock is a top priority for farmers and we take great efforts to ensure their well being.

If you would like to know more about how American Farmers care for their livestock, visit this website www.conversationsoncare.com, the Conversations on Animal Care Web site.