Painting by Toni GroteThe day before yesterday my class and I went to visit a farm. It's spring and there are lots of baby animals around and it's always good to get out of the classroom.
Of course I wasn't looking forward to it. Sixteen kids running around hyper, animal poo everywhere and a thousand opportunities to have a finger removed if the rule about not shoving your fingers through the fence got ignored - let's just say I can think of better ways to spend the day.
But actually it was fantastic. The children lapped it all up. Considering they are not the best group for paying attention and listening they were as good as gold. First of all there wasn't animal poo anywhere. The animals and their associated droppings were very securely fenced in and it was very hygienic. The children were given a talk about the importance of handwashing and there were washing facilities with antibac soap in all the barns. We saw all kinds of birds and small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs and chipmunks. And then of course there were all the piglets and lambs. The kids all got a chance to bottle feed a lamb and the had a practical demonstration on lamb birthing. The woman giving the talk told the children all about how a farmer helps a sheep give birth when the lamb is coming out backwards. Nutty Boy (he's a great kid but let's just say that he's got a lot of energy) stood in as the farmer, suitably kitted up with a three-foot-long plastic glove, and helped the ailing Mamma Sheep (a cardboard box, with a funnel at its back end) by shoving the breech lamb back inside the Mummy, turning it around and dragging it back out head first. The then he removed the placental sac (cling film), cleared the gunk from the lamb's mouth (a beautiful bit of mime) before giving it a vigorous rubbing to get it's circulation going. But Oh No!- the lamb ( all 10" stuffed toy of him) was still not breathing so Nutty took him by the back legs and swung him backwards and forwards to clear his obstructed airway until we heard the first plaintive Baaa! The best bit of the whole thing was when the demonstrator said Baa! because the expression of utter surprise on Nutty's face was priceless!
Expecto, of course was in his element, as he comes from a farming background, and he announced to me when we arrived,
"That smell wot we're smelling is sheep's poo-poo. There might be cow's poo-poo too. I've seen it happen you know. It comes out under the cow's tail and falls SPLAT! onto the ground. Then when it is all dry you can just pick it up!"
Cow pat frisbee anyone?
16 comments:
School trips can be a nightmare but it sounds like that one went off well.
I love your description of Nutty Boy standing in as the farmer.
LOL I can almost smell it.
Although a hygienic farm doesn't sound right at all!
I was scared to click through on your blog in case you inserted more 80s songs into my brain. Don't think that you are forgiven!
Oh I love visiting farms. And Nutty seems quite a handful. :-D
Loved the description. Last time I visited the farm, I was called a brat too, by the lady of the house... Coz I just wouldn't stop staring at her. She was very sweet though. :-)
What a lovely trip with the kids. How great is that Nutty got to "deliver" a little lamb. The description made me think of the James Herriot Books. I loved those.
Very funny. We have a farmstead similar to the one you described, and the children get to milk a fake cow-rubbery udders, streams of water and everything...but no 'moo.' I like the lamb birthing better. (BTW, when I read your blog do I think your words in an Irish accent?)
Ha, glad things went well on the hygienic farm. Lamb birthing...never saw that as a kid. I feel like I missed out.
What? No feeding the goats and sheep those little pellets? That's when the fingers get lost.
Glad the trip was so well suited to little ones. I'm impressed that they had such an involved birthing demonstration. Nice experience for the kids!
I love hearing your school stories! Keep 'em coming!
I'm not really partial to sheep/cow poo poo either!
Your description of the visit was so sweet and endearing,though. I liked the bits of dialect and expressive behavior. (I'm glad everyone left with fingers and toes intact.)
When I was on holiday last year, we visited a zoo with a petting area. Never have so many baby goats been crammed into so...actually, it was a huge enclosure. And there were hundreds of goats. I'm still woken by the shrill bleats of of all the baby billys being picked up and dragged round by their ankles by kids. A nightmare scenario.
To quote David Bowie from the opening of Diamond Dogs — This ain't no petting zoo, this is genocide...
That is awesome! I love that last explanation. Splat! Har har!
btw I hate the farm. makes my allergies go bonkers and I quickly die a miserable death.
This sounds like a great fieldtrip. And, have I mentioned dear Janey, how you write the most exquisite posts and find the best pictures to accompany them. Who knew I had such sticktoitiveness (yes, I'm making that all one long word)!
Oh I do love Expecto, the child's a gem, snottiness notwithstanding!
So glad it went off well - though I have to say, I agree with Sylvia, a hygienic farm just doesn't sound right!
Thanks FHH - Nutty was a star and the whole trip was a joy.
Sylvia - I agree! Hygienic farm sounds like an oxymoron. But believe me it stank like a farm should. O.M.G. - Farmers must have no sense of smell.
As for 80's soft rock - you will find none here although I am tempted to give you a blast of Boston's More Than A Feeling via YouTube ;0)
Aniket - a handful, yes indeed but also a lovely kid (mostly). You'll be pleased to know that in these enlightened times, no children are ever called such names. We try to give them confidence rather than stifle it. Taking them on these little trips is a real confidence builder.
Lois - It's funny you should say that about James Herriot because I had a real flashback when the demonstrator handed Nutty the long green plastic glove. I was a rather worried they were going to bring in a cow!
Hey Jessie - your farmstead visit sounds wonderful. I bet the kids loved "Milking" the cow. And all the better to have fake udders because, believe me, the back end of a real cow does NOT smell like roses.
And guess what? I write with an Irish accent too!
Natalie - it was a wonderful demonstration and the kids were so excited. But I have to say that nothing beats seeing a real little lamb being born. That said, I'm not sure the kids would've liked the reality of it! They certainly wouldn't have made the poor ewe feel very calm
No pellets Aine but I have taken my little ones to a farm that you could do that. This one was WAY more careful! The birthing demo was fantastic and quite a bit more detailed than I explained here. The kids had a really enriching experience.
It was as clean as a farm experience could've been Bee, thank goodness. I'm not one for manure either! Glad you liked the dialogue - it really helps to convey the personalities of these littlies.
Whirl - you'll be relived to know there weren't any butchering demos. We got off lightly on that front.
Ello - the stink on this farm would've killed those sensitive olofactories of yours. I feel your pain on the allergy front. Just wait for June and you'll have a month of me whinging about my hayfever!
Why thank you my dear Barrie - your ability to give a great compliment is only exceeded by your sticktoitiveness. Well done!
Expecto is brilliant AV but my god the boy's sinuses are a tragedy. We all have our crosses and unfortunately for me, Expecto's continues to be his nose.
Yes it was clean Vanilla but the smell ... oh the smell...
nice painting, janey :O lol
That Expecto is a hoot, Janey!
Being from a rural state, this stuff tickles me - farms and coal mines and rural lakes and old farm guys in denim overalls, chewing tobacco. Love it.
ha! sounds lovely!! i don't see the country or nature enough. i think it's important.
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