They say a problem shared is a problem halved… or something like that, right?
Well, I’ve got a problem. But I don’t have a solution.
If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably heard about our orphan lamb pen—where the little ones who can’t be fed by their moms get extra care. Most folks call them bottle lambs because, well, they need bottles. But we’ve got a secret weapon: a milk machine that automatically prepares warm formula and serves it to the lambs on demand. Once they figure it out, it’s life-changing—for them and for me. No more mixing milk constantly, no more round-the-clock bottle feeding. It’s been working great for years.
Until now.
So what’s changed? What’s the problem, Rod?
Well… turns out, lambs aren’t the only ones who appreciate a steady supply of warm milk. Somewhere along the way, the cats caught on. And sure, I don’t mind sharing—I like having barn cats around. But I do mind their sharp little teeth.
Almost every morning, I walk into the barn to find yet another punctured nipple, milk spewing everywhere. Lucky for me, it’s usually a small hole. But unlucky for me, small holes still waste expensive milk, and I’ve gone through almost 40 nipples in the last month alone!
So now I’m left scratching my head. How exactly do you keep a determined cat away from warm milk? The obvious answer would be netting or fencing, but have you ever tried to keep a cat out of something? That would have to be a perfect solution, and I just don’t see it working. I even considered an electric fence, but let’s be honest—I can already picture them dropping in from the walls like a scene from a Bond film.
So, no twist ending here. No clever fix. Just me, standing in the barn every morning, holding yet another ruined milk nipple and questioning my life choices.
Any ideas?
Farmer Rod