Author: Kerry

Posted on

2024 Spring Extravaganza! See what BFF is all about!

We are honored to once again be invited to participate in the Spring Fiber Extravaganza May 3-5 2024! For one weekend only guests can tour three farms for free! Besides Black Frog Farm 10908 Belmar Ave Maribel WI 54227, LondonDairy Alpaca Ranch 6827 State Hwy 147 Two Rivers WI 54241, and Velvet Sheep Farms W1681 Garton Road Sheboygan WI 53083 are also open the first weekend in May for guests to check out.
Maybe you follow our social media, or have seen us at events with our llamas, or have driven past Black Frog Farm and wondered what we are all about. We invite you to see it for yourself….
Each day May 3-5 we will be open to the public from 10am to 3pm. We have an army of volunteers to help you around the farm that weekend. Parking attendants will show you where to park your car. Disabled parking is available just let the attendants know you need it.

Guests will be able to tour the entire farm at their own pace. On one side of the drive are the llamas, with a walking trail through the woods and along the pens to see the entirety of the llama set up. On the other side of the drive are sheep, goats, pigs, poultry of all kinds, 2 additional rescue llamas, and baby chicks to touch or hold. Make your way in a loop around our home and come onto the deck and into the shop set up for the weekend. We have fresh eggs from our ducks, chickens and turkeys for sale. We also have a large selection of house plants for sale in unique containers. Logo wear, and unique items from a few vendors will be available for purchase, as well as raw llama fiber and sheep wool from our animals. New this year- get a card punched at all three farms and you can be entered to win a gift basket from any of the farms!

Refreshments will be available all weekend courtesy of Three Brothers Coffee (our nephews). In addition, we are so excited to be hosting food truck Blue Suede Foods Saturday only! We will be posting the menu for that day on our social media shortly before the event. They are just simply AWESOME !! Picnic tables are available for guests as well as a portable restroom.

The Spring Fiber Extravaganza will be held rain or shine. Dress for the weather and wear comfy shoes that can stand a little mud. No guests will be allowed into any of the animal pens for safety reasons. Please do not open any gates. Leave your own pets at home for their own safety. No climbing on any gates or fencing, and please do not allow children to chase any cats or chickens that might be out and hanging around.

You’ll notice that we have quite a few rescue animals of several species. The heart and soul of Black Frog Farm is rescue, and the Extravaganza weekend gives guests the opportunity to see what we do, learn about the different care needed for each species, and even to help us in our future rescue work. ALL proceeds from sales of the weekend are going into the care of the animals on our farm. We also are hoping to be able to fundraise enough to help additional animals this year as the need arises. Any money from purchases or donations go into the medical care, hay and straw, fencing, housing, grain and feed for all of the animals that come into our care. Rescue comes in many forms – sometimes it’s an ill elderly owner who can no longer manage a large llama. Or someone who just isn’t able to provide good shelter for their goat. Or someone who is afraid the feral cat they are feeding in town will not make it through the winter. Our job isn’t to judge the person. Our job is to get the animal what it needs to be healthy and thrive. We are grateful for the support of our extended community and those who believe in what we do!!

Posted on

2024 here we go!

I’ve spent some time reflecting on what we’ve done in 2023. What did we accomplish? What was our “theme”? I keep coming back to the animals that were added to the farm in 2023 and how they came to us. They each have a unique story, but they all have a common thread. They came to us in need.

Three llamas – Savannah, Merle, Ripple through two different rescues. All three needed a new home and needed some TLC in some way or another. 1 pig – Puddles, who needed a new home because she was getting bullied by her pig friends at her old home. 5 Adult female cats and 21 kittens – came to us from a friend in a dark time who needed help caring for them. A Mom and 3 kittens fostering currently- from a home that was willing to throw them out into an abandoned barn in the dead of winter. And Winston, our one planned llama born on our farm. Our hope for future llama shows. Not a rescue, and very much loved.

And then there are the people too. So many in need. Our friend who lost her husband of many years suddenly. The kids who come to us through The Production Farm to work with the animals in summer – some from broken homes and some with broken spirits- who got the chance to witness a llama birth. Guests who visited our farm and the wonder on their faces as they touch a llama for the first time. Or pet a sheep for the first time. Maybe hold a baby chick. There is something magical about animals that heals humans.

We aren’t a rescue. We don’t have a 501c3. But we somehow can fill a need when it’s there.

I didn’t really have a good plan in 2020 when Black Frog Farm started opening to the public. It was a crazy year. People were requesting to buy eggs from birds who were well cared for, and spend time with our animals just so they simply could get outside. They wanted to spend time at a place where nothing is killed, and life matters. From the arthritic old lady llamas to the ridiculous oversized friendly tom turkey. We found a need that I hadn’t thought of before.

And now I feel like we are being pushed in this new direction….to keep filling both human and animal needs. I can’t call us a real rescue, but we could be bordering on “Sanctuary.” After all what is a sanctuary but a safe place for healing? And the people who have believed in us and supported us this past year and the years before – maybe they already saw what we were when I didn’t. When I was too lost in the weeds of the daily to see the larger picture.

I want to see where this new direction brings us and be open to the change. I am excited to be led by something bigger than myself! Let’s see what 2024 has in store for us, and where we go from here.

Posted on

What I’ve learned sofar from farming

When people ask me what I do and I tell them I’m a farmer, I inevitably get the response about having a “hobby farm.” If exhausting, backbreaking, and sometimes heartbreaking work was a hobby of mine I might be more agreeable to that term. I’ve never felt so small in the world and so not in control as I have when working a farm. Control? Pffft – get a herd of goats and tell me if you feel in control of the situation. Or wait for hay season to stock up to feed all your animals only to have a wet summer and very little hay to come by.
So, what I have I learned sofar from this journey?

First, I’ve been reminded more than I care to admit that Mother Nature is in control-always. We are all just along for the ride. Being in Wisconsin we sometimes have the coldest or snowiest of winters with full on blizzards tossed in for spice. Wading to the animals after a deep and heavy snow armed with a shovel to dig them all out is backbreaking work. I also have learned the importance of dressing for the weather – especially in winter! Good insulated and waterproof boots are a must, along with a Carhart jacket, thick hat, and gloves. Interesting tip I received was to layer the cheapy stretch gloves under heavier flip down mittens is the way to go. Also, interestingly I’ve heard that wearing neoprene gloves under winter gloves help to keep the heat in. I haven’t tried that one yet!
On the flip side is the hot and humid summers. Those can also be very hard on the animals…and humans! We have learned to design our animal shelters to give a good amount of shade, and have electric running to them to allow for large fans to run in summer.

I’ve also learned the real value of community. We rely on our local feed mill for more than just feed. They offer advice, ideas, and connection to other farms. Our neighbors have watched out for us as well. More than once I’ve had a neighbor bring home a stray turkey, and once even a goat. We also rely on our llama community to learn as much as possible to care for our animals.

I have a stronger awareness of and attentiveness to the seasons. For example, spring has truly sprung in our corner of the world when I hear the sandhill cranes making their noise, and the redwing blackbirds coming back to the area. I’ve also learned to watch the animals for an indication of what the winter is going to be like. A dramatic increase in eating in late fall, combined with extra thick winter coats tell me they are prepping for a bad winter.

I have a stronger sense of self. I know when to ask for help and what I can and can’t do.

I have an appreciation for my family who work as hard on our farm as I do.

Finally, I have a strong appreciation of vacation time. Time away is hard to come by, and when it happens we cherish it!

Posted on

Spring Farm Tour 2022- What it’s all about?

It’s our biggest event of the year and it’s right around the corner! Our Spring Farm Tour is coming up April 29- May 1. Three days to tour for free!! Four different farms in Northeast Wisconsin who have an alternate feel for farming that isn’t dairy.

Tour four different farms for free the weekend of April 29-May 1!

So, who is Black Frog Farm?
We are a family of 3- Nick, Kerry and Aubrey, who enjoy the outdoors and animals. We have found enjoyment and connection through different animal additions to our farm over the years. Our love for this grew it from a hobby into a farm.
Our main focus are llamas of which we currently have 10. We breed llamas for showing at National llama shows, and for their fiber which gets shorn yearly like a sheep. We breed for easygoing personalities, proper conformation of body structure, and medium to heavy fiber. Our current herd of llamas have been purchased from all over the country, and from different bloodlines, to allow us to combine it all into our own view of the perfect breeding ingredients.
We also enjoy our poultry and the fresh eggs that they provide. We sell the extra that we don’t use for our own consumption.
We are a small farm with no intentions of becoming much larger. Our llama herd is small. The goal at BFF is to breed to improve our herd, as well as be able to sell some of our animals to help pay for the feed and care of the herd as a whole. To breed simply to increase the number of animals is certainly not the goal.
As our farm has grown we have found that people of all ages and backgrounds find enjoyment, peace, and maybe even healing when working with our animals. Many comments have come to us that visitors find relaxation amongst the animals and gardens at BFF. This is our feel as well, so we are opening the farm to visitors to experience it.

So, what’s the tour all about at Black Frog Farm?
We are set up on the farm for a self guided tour of the land and the animals, with volunteers sprinkled along the way to answer questions. Guests can tour at their own pace and interact with all of the livestock. It’s also an opportunity to learn about the animals on the farm through reading posters about their care, their personalities, and talking with the people who care for them day in and day out. Nick, Kerry and Aubrey are all available all weekend to chat about any of the animals. We also have family that helps on our farm who are familiar with the care of all of the animals – our brother Kevin and wife Angie, as well as their sons Ben, Eli and Sam. They cover for us when we are out of town 🙂
We love this opportunity for people to interact with the animals, relax and enjoy the day. Everyone loves to hold baby chicks and learn about their care! Take a walk on our trail through the woods around the llama pen.
We also get visitors who are genuinely interested in getting their own animals at some point, and wish to learn more about their care and where to purchase. Nothing is better than hands on learning before you commit!
Our farm is kid-friendly with several of our tour helpers being under 10! Our young helpers have been working hard to be ready to answer any questions you have! We will have a tractor out for selfies on it, sidewalk chalk, and lots of space to play and burn some energy.

What should guests wear and be ready for at Black Frog Farm?
Since it’s Wisconsin keep your eye on the weather! BFF is surrounded by farm fields so it’s usually pretty windy. We will have a portable toilet available for guests to use. We will have a handwashing station, as well as hand sanitizer distributed around the farm.
We are hoping for Spring to dry out a little yet, but boots or old shoes are recommended (especially if you wish to walk the trail).
Parking will be along our drive and in the barnyard turnaround, with additional parking along the road.
We ask that guests do not feed the animals, go inside the animal pens, open gates, and to leave pets at home.

What will be available for sale at Black Frog Farm?
We have several small vendors with their products for sale coming to BFF. These vendors will require payment in cash. BFF will accept payment for our products through cash, Venmo, and Paypal.
We will have farm fresh eggs available by the dozen, many different kinds of houseplants, dried catnip from our property, BFF sweatshirts and hats, and honey. Yard decor, keychains, hand loomed rugs, as well as original artwork of the animals at BFF from Purple Kitten Studios.
We will also have a concession stand on Saturday April 30 run by the FFA (Future Farmers of America) from Denmark Middle School.

How do we find Black Frog Farm?
We are located at 10908 Belmar Avenue in Maribel 54227, which is also County Highway Z. We are about 1.5 miles west of I-43 from the Maribel/Mishicot exit 164. We will have signs up near I-43 and on County Z pointing the way!

What if we can’t make it the open house weekend? Can we tour Black Frog Farm other times?
Yes you can! Private tours are available for a small fee and by appointment only. For more information on private tours check out our webpage www.blackfrogfarm.com Contact us to schedule!

We are hoping to provide guests with a relaxing and enjoyable experience at our farm. We love to show you why it’s special to us, and the magic of animals.

Posted on

Thinking about goats? How much work are they….really

I sometimes get asked how we ended up with goats on our farm. It went something like this:

Me: I think we should get some goats. They are cute and those fainting ones are adorable.
Nick: Goats?! (confused look on his face)
Aubrey: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAATSSS!

And so we got goats. HAHA!

So why goats? Well, ours are pets and provide us hours of entertainment with their crazy antics. They all have very different personalities, but most of ours are friendly and enjoy scratches, brushing and treats.
I’m often asked if we milk our goats and the answer is no. Milking goats requires a whole different level of commitment that we aren’t willing to give. However, while ours are pets, different breeds of goats have different practical uses. There are dairy goats, meat goats, and packing goats. I saw a guy use his goats with backpacks on them in the mountains to help carry out an elk carcass.
Even just as pets, our goats are fun and have great personalities.
So how does one care for a goat? The number one thing I’ve learned about caring for my goats is that they live to destroy. No joke! When planning shelter, fencing, playgrounds, anything they can get to – either plan for it to be nuclear bomb proof or keep it out of their reach.
We use 16′ cattle panels with extra heavy duty metal T-posts to connect the fencing to. Keeping in mind that the goats will use the fence as a ladder to get attention, we put the panels on the inside of the posts so they push against the posts. It’s a more secure way to keep the fencing together. In addition, fencing is important to consider when bringing home baby goats- called kids. The kids are so tiny they can squirt right through the cattle panel holes. So we lined the cattle panels with chicken wire 3′ high as a temporary fix until the kids are big enough to not get out. Our first kids we brought home we didn’t even consider how tiny they were. They got out of the fencing holes straight away and headed to the garage. It wasn’t until Aubrey found them and stated bluntly: “Dad, there are goats in the garage” that we knew we had to come up with a better plan. Thus the chicken wire. Maybe we have been lucky, but our goats have never climbed or jumped the fencing. Cattle panels are 50″ tall and we keep smaller breed goats so it’s been working for us.
One word of caution on the cattle panels and goats: we don’t dehorn our goats, and the smaller ones can get their heads through the fence holes to eat the grass on the other side. Sometimes they get stuck in the fencing. Generally they figure out how to get themselves loose, but we are aware if there is a goat hollering that is what it could be and will need assistance.

Goats are surprisingly picky when it comes to eating, and somehow at the same time complete gluttons. We free feed ours hay – meaning it’s available all the time. They have a tendency to pick through the hay with their lips and eat only their favorite strands while wasting a lot of the rest. There are wall mounted wooden feeders and large tubs filled with hay on the ground (which they generally lay in). We have tried all kinds of ways to reduce hay waste and still have yet to come up with a good solution.
We also feed a portion of goat grains from our local feed mill. It’s formulated specifically for goats so they get the minerals and vitamins they need. This is a once daily feed and it’s more like feeding sharks than goats. They go nuts over the grain and push each other around to get the most! We feed only an allotted amount or they would eat themselves sick.
The feeders we have used with best results are fence mounted heavy duty plastic ones that are literally chained on the bottom to the fence. Remember – goats are destroyers of everything. These are the only feeders that have held up to the wrath of goat horns ramming them. We have plastic hang-on-a-2×4 type feeders for keeping minerals in them inside their goat house. The minerals are a free feed option for them, and sometimes they don’t touch it and sometimes it gets eaten completely. The plastic containers mounted are considered “disposable” as they last a few months and get busted up. One goat in particular, “Tank”, lives to ram his horns into the feeders. It’s his lifelong mission to destroy as many as he can. It’s a good thing he is cute!

Goats have hooves that need regular maintenance. Their hooves are always growing like fingernails, and the growth rate is dependent on each individual. When the hooves get too long it can affect the way they walk and is painful for them. Trimming them is a multi-person job at BFF generally. Two people hold the goat and make sure the horns are secure, and then one trims the hooves with a garden pruning shears. The how to of trimming hooves could be a whole blog by itself, but rest assured once you do it a few times and get the hang of what to cut it’s really not that hard.

Goats do need worming a couple times of year, and it’s wise to take a sample of their poop to the vet once a year to verify the kind of worms you need to treat. Goats always have worms, and there just isn’t going to be a way to completely eliminate the worms. The goal is to manage the worm load they carry so it doesn’t affect their general health. High stress situations such as extreme hot or cold weather, adding new goats or someone passing away can cause “worm blooms.” Worm blooms are just times when the goat’s immunity might be a little down and the worms take advantage of it.
Goats can also get mites or lice which can be managed by giving injections of the proper medication.

The most important thing for caring for our goats, in my opinion, is simply spending time with them and knowing their personalities. When you know their normal routines and how they act when they are feeling good, you’ll know when they are not feeling well and it will be a flag that something is wrong. Sometimes goats get sick and it can go bad very fast. We’ve had experiences here with pneumonia, urinary tract stones, and infections of the skin. When the more serious stuff happens, we fall back on our relationship with our large animal vet to helps us out. Simply keeping an eye on the coat sheen and color can give you a clue that the goats might have something going on that needs attention. The one good thing about dealing with medical stuff is that you gain the knowledge to handle it in the future, and the experience gives you confidence that you CAN handle it. Keep in mind they can have a lifespan of 10-12 years, so they are a serious commitment when adding to your farm.

Overall our experience with keeping goats has been a positive thing. It’s been a good experience for our daughter especially who is tasked with the daily feeding and watering of our herd. Our goats have fun personalities like dogs, and enjoy attention from us.

Posted on

There are a bazillion breeds of chickens! How do I pick the best breed of chicken for me?

There are so many chicken breeds in the world, it’s incredible! And overwhelming! And exciting! I look forward to chicken hatchery catalogs each year to see what else I can add to my flock. They come around the end of each year, and I cozy up in cold Wisconsin and page through the variety. I love to try new breeds on my farm and see what kinds of eggs we get. When we first started out though, I made sure to do my research and pick some easy breeds to keep for beginners. They ended up being still some of my favorites! I am planning on adding more of my very original breed – Buff Orpingtons – to my next flock order 🙂 They are so chill they are actually fun to play with!

So, what do I keep in mind when choosing a breed?
Well, I keep our customers in mind and happy with my choices too, so laying large brown eggs is one of my considerations. I also make sure that the “normal” egg production from each breed is high enough to allow us enough extra to sell to our customers.
While our chickens our egg producers, they are also our pets. Our daughter Aubrey especially loves to spoil them and love on them. So picking breeds that are friendly, docile, and easy to work with is important. Also, since we are in Wisconsin I need cold hardy breeds, that are also laid back about being cooped inside for a few months while it’s snowing.

It’s important to keep the needs of the birds in mind when deciding on a breed. Since we have hot and humid summers, and sometimes bitter cold winters, I need birds that can handle both. The hardier the bird the better! I’ve found that chickens with really large combs and wattles (the red skin things on their heads and necks) tend to get frostbite easier than other breeds. Frostbite turns the combs black, and parts of them can actually break off. Our large Lavender Orpington Rooster Bob had this happen to him one winter. Poor Dude. It did grow back, but looked awful for awhile. Unfortunately frostbite can be hard to prevent, as heating the coops is more of a fire danger than it’s worth. Picking the right breeds for the climate becomes the best way to prevent things like frostbite from happening. So I’ve been focusing more on breeds of chickens with smaller combs to avoid frostbite.

Our very first breeds of chickens were Buff Orpingtons (large golden colored birds that lay large brown eggs), and Silkies. Silkies are goofy looking fuzzballs that don’t even look like a chicken. They are usually mild mannered, and good for kids. They are a smaller bird, and have feathered legs and feet. And….they have blue skin! They are certainly a crazy looking chicekn! Both breeds do well in our area and climate, and handle being in a coop well. They also lay regularly.

After having these breeds I wanted to change it up and add all kinds of colors to run around my farm. Now, many years later, we have more varieties of Orpingtons, Wyndottes, Americaunas, Black Marans, Silkies, Silver Laced Sebrights, Penciled Rocks, Welsummers, and Porcelein d’uccles, to name a few. I like having a large mixture of breeds for the color variety of both the feathers, and the eggs. The large selection of bird breeds is how I end up with pretty rainbow colored eggs. I also enjoy bantam (small) sized chickens. Some of mine are the size of mourning doves and I love the variety of colors they come in!

If you plan on getting a rooster, or maybe accidentally end up with one from a hatchery, the right breed is also very important. In full sized birds (as opposed to bantams- or smaller versions of each breed) the roosters are generally larger than the hen. So being able to handle them if needed, and a good disposition is a must. Personality of each bird plays a part, but this is when generalization of each breed demeanor comes in handy. If they are usually calm and docile birds, it’s likely you’ll get that in your rooster as well. We’ve found that Orpington roosters have been some of the most relaxed guys on our farm. You know those Youtube videos with roosters chasing people all over the place? That isn’t something I want to duplicate here!

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a chicken breed is if you plan on ever hatching out your own chicks. You can always incubate the eggs, but I’ve had the best luck having the chickens hatch out their own. The absolute best bird to let go “broody” – want to set on the eggs and hatch them out- are silkies. Our silkies have been broody about 50% of the time during spring and summer. There is always a silkie sitting on a pile of eggs somewhere. If we are wanting to hatch specific eggs out we put them under a broody silkie. They do the rest!! Of course, if you don’t want broody hens and you just want eggs that is another thing to keep in mind when choosing chicken breeds. There are breeds that rarely go broody. You need to do your research, and hatcheries are good sources of information for how a breed will turn out as adults.

Finally, the most fun in picking out breeds of chickens is just deciding what your preference is for looks. If you enjoy a wide variety of chicken colors meandering around your yard like I do, then get a few varieties and change it up each year when you order chicks! I’ve always enjoyed trying new breeds of chickens. Sometimes I stumble onto a breed I absolutely love and want to add more of. That’s the joy of keeping chickens!

Posted on

Special Guest Blog – What is TNR and the benefits?

As cat lovers, Black Frog Farm is an advocate of TNR – Trap Neuter Return. We also put our money and time where our mouths are and have TNR’d all the cats that are on our farm. I sometimes get questions about what TNR is and why would I bother with it? For the answer to that, I contacted my friend and fellow cat lover Terri Ebersole – cat TNR expert. She singlehandedly ran the Wisconsin TNR program “My Feral Fix” for many years. Here is Terri’s take on TNR in her own words:

TNR – THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE YOUR OUTDOOR CAT

What is TNR? –
TNR stands for Trap, Neuter, Return. It is the most humane method of managing the population of outdoor cats (stray, abandoned, or feral).
TNR involves humanely trapping all the cats in the colony, transporting them to a licensed vet for spay/neuter, vaccinating for rabies and distemper, deworming and a left ear tip (a universal symbol indicating they have been neutered). After a night of recuperation, the cats are then returned to their outdoor home to live out a longer, healthier life.

When Kerry asked me to do a guest blog on the benefits of TNR, it took me awhile to respond. I didn’t understand why anyone would need to be convinced of the benefits of TNR. Most things have pros and cons, but there are no cons to TNR…..just pros.
Since TNR has been my life for 10 years, I knew and have observed first hand all the benefits. I thought, “Why wouldn’t you TNR your cats?” I then remembered that not everyone knew what TNR was, how it worked, and the life changing benefits for the cats’ and their caregivers.
The concept of TNR is actually quite unbelievable. Thirty years ago we were trying to convince cat owners to spay and neuter their house cats. Now we have programs to spay and neuter the outdoor cats. That IS unbelievable! Today there are TNR programs nationwide. These programs offer assistance to the caregiver ranging from trapping the cats, to transport to surgery, to low cost assistance to cover the cost of the procedure. Larger organizations offer the program for free.

The first benefit of TNR, of course, is population control.
Cats are prolific breeders. I cannot tell you how many phone calls I received with the caregiver telling me “I only had 2 cats a year or two ago. Now I have 20. How did this happen?” I will not reference all the statistics found online about how 2 cats can become 37,000 (or whatever number they use) in just 7 years. I will just show you 1 cats’ reproduction in 1 year.
Each female cat will have at least 2 litters per year. Generally 1 litter in the spring and 1 litter in the fall. With an average of 4 kittens per litter, the one cat becomes 9. Since female kittens can go into heat as early as 4 months of age but always by 6 months and 2 of the kittens from her first litter are females, they can each have a litter (of 4 kittens each) by the end of the year. IN ONE YEAR, THE ONE CAT BECOMES 17!!
Prior to TNR programs becoming available the options were limited as to control of your growing colony (a group of cats living outdoors together). Many people would relocate the cats and/or kittens to farms. If relocation is not done properly, the cats will not stay on the farm…..they will try to find their way back to their previous outdoor home….and in doing so they are hit on the road or starve to death.
When kittens are dropped off at a farm, they usually starve to death. You see, cats lives are all about survival….just like humans. Food is at the top of the list for survival. The existing cats are not going to allow the kittens in to eat their food, it threatens their survival. Also, the kittens do not have their mothers to teach them the dangers (cows, machinery) of life on the farm. The mortality rate is high.
Many caregivers I worked with had been able to adopt out their kittens to friends and relatives, so they thought leaving their cats intact was not a problem. They always found homes for the kittens. Until….all their friends and relatives had kittens/cats. Now what?
Taking kittens to the local shelter is sometimes used for birth control. In 2015, the director of the local shelter asked me to help 2 caregivers TNR their cats. In just 1 week, these 2 caregivers had brought 22 kittens to the shelter. You can imagine how quickly the shelter can be overwhelmed with kittens! Kittens often do not do well in the shelter environment. Their immune systems are not strong enough to fight off all the germs found in a small area occupied by many animals. The shelter uses up their limited funds caring for them and they use up space and resources needed by others already in the shelter system. TNR stops the influx of cats and kittens into local rescues and shelters, thereby lowering kill rates and increasing the chance of adoption for those already in the shelter.

The other major benefit of TNR is improved health of the cats.
In 2012, I TNR’d my first large colony (20+). When I arrived at the caregiver’s home, I had a hard time holding back my tears. All of the cats were what I could only describe as “walking spines.” Many of them had upper respiratory infections and some had missing eyes as a result of that. Upper respiratory infections are much more prevalent in large colonies. Many kittens die from it and if they do survive, it becomes chronic and they are unhealthy their whole, shorter life.
All the cats were spayed, neutered, vaccinated for rabies and distemper, dewormed and ear tipped. After a night of recovery, they were released back to their outdoor home.
Two months later I returned to pick up the kittens for their surgery. I could not believe my eyes!! The cats looked so healthy, their coats looked thicker and they had put on substantial weight. Besides the benefits of the spaying, neutering, and vaccinations, they also benefit greatly from being worm free for the first time in their lives. They were now getting the nutrition from their food…not the worms.
Many caregivers have friendly outdoor cats that their children enjoy interacting with. When getting a cat TNR’d through a TNR program, the cats always get vaccinated for rabies. The caregivers are always grateful for the peace of mind of the added benefit to their children’s safety.
I had a female who went in to be TNR’d in December 2019. She had given birth to three litters already that year and was pregnant with her 4th litter. Her poor body was so worn out from growing kittens, then feeding and watching over the kittens, only to become pregnant again. Her body had no time to recuperate between litters. The stress of this constant cycle makes for a very short lifespan for female cats.
Kittens can and will get pregnant when they are only six months old. At this point they stop growing since all nutrition is given to growing her babies. Most of the time these babies do not survive. Mama cat is too young and the maternal instinct does not kick in. I have seen young females running around as the kittens drop out of them. The babies are born only to suffer and die.
All cats in the colony should be TNR’d. I learned this lesson when assisting a caregiver in my early years of doing TNR. He had an older female cat who he called “The great grandma of them all.” He thought she was too old to get pregnant and I allowed her not to be spayed. The following spring he found her deceased….she had died giving birth to kittens.
Unneutered male cats will spray to mark their territory. They will fight with other male cats over females in heat. This results in wounds that often become infected and causes their death. I have encountered male cats with broken front legs caused by fighting.
Male cats can smell a female in heat 2 miles away. When it is mating season they only have one thing on their minds. They are driven by instinct and will not pay attention to the dangers they normally avoid. Most of the cats you see dead on the roadways are male cats that are following the scent of a female in heat. Neutering stops the spraying, stops the fighting and stops the roaming.

Other benefits of TNR.
The majority of the caregivers I worked with told me that, after being TNR’d, their cats became friendlier, especially the females. This makes sense. You removed the constant stressful cycle of raising kittens, going into heat, fighting off males wanting to mate, mating and then giving birth again. They can now just enjoy being cats.
The caregivers also witnessed the fact that the cats in their colony interacted with each other in a more peaceful manner. You stop the mating behaviors and there is harmony in the colony. Quote from a caregiver “After being TNR’d, we have noticed the cats are calmer and happier. They seem to have a greater affection for each other and for us and they no longer have the urge to roam and leave our farm. It is wonderful to see our matriarch healthier than she has ever been, enjoying life without being bothered by male cats and enduring pregnancy after pregnancy. There is no longer a line of male cats following a female around the yard, no male cats fighting and no more wondering where our male cats have wandered off to in search of a female. It is simply a joy to watch the cats play in the yard and bask in the sun worry free.”

You feed your cats. You care about your cats. There’s a saying, “If you feed them, fix them.” Keep the population under control. Keep them healthy. You will NEVER, EVER regret getting them TNR’d!!!

GIVE THEM THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE THEM

Posted on

Answering some of your questions about Black Frog Farm

I get a lot of good questions from people interested in what we do at Black Frog Farm. Some stuff I just take for granted because we’ve done this for so long, but they are great questions! Here are a few of the questions I’ve gotten, and I’ll try to answer as best I can 🙂

~Would I sell the fleece from my llamas?
Short answer – YES! Longer answer- it depends what you want to use it for. I get my llamas sheared every spring, and the fleece is put into large garbage bags initially. After that I “skirt” the fleeces – fancy term for going through each one and picking out the best fiber to use. The best fiber can be used for spinning, or felting, or be sent out to a fiber mill to be made into yarn or socks or hats, etc. The lower end fiber can be used for felting, or bird nesting balls (hang it out in spring and the birds LOVE to build their nests with it!!) or the fiber can even be used as dog bedding filling.
Anyone interested in buying raw fleece from me – the fleece before it goes to be milled- get in touch with me before May.

~What do I do for bad weather on the farm?
This is a year round concern for us. Since having outdoor animals I’ve become utterly obsessed with watching the weather! In winter it’s a matter of keeping the animals dry, and having dry bedding they can nestle into to keep warm. So the important thing is to have the animal coops in good condition, and add additional tarping or boarding up to keep the snow and ice out. Animals also need an abundance of feed, and clean water to drink. None of our animals have heated shelters, which is for a couple reasons. First, the chance of fire is too high with heaters in shelters with straw or bedding. Second, the animals are all acclimated to the colder weather by not heating them throughout the fall as it gets colder gradually. The goats and llamas grow in thick coats to keep them dry and warm. The chickens molt in fall and get new feathers to help keep their body heat in during the winter.
In summer we can get some bad thunderstorms around our area. The important thing is that the animals have shelter they can run to if we get hail, heavy rain, or high winds. It’s also important that we keep up with tree trimming around the animal shelters so no branches fall onto the shelter. Sometimes, it’s simply out of our control with weather. In cases of tornado warnings or destructive winds we make sure to have the animals be able to decide to stay in or run out of the shelters if needed. The animals are pretty smart weather wise and seem to know what to do to stay safe. We give the animals their options, and then make our way to safety for ourselves.

~Who takes over the farm when I’m sick?
This is a good question in a pandemic time! Thankfully we haven’t had any major illness here, but I keep a routine for many reasons and possible illness is one of them. My husband and daughter both know the daily routines of animal feeding and care, and Aubrey usually helps daily with them. If she or I are sick or cannot be home for some reason, the other person can take over fairly easily and make sure everyone is cared for. In cases of us needing to be gone for a couple days, or take a vacation, it becomes more complicated. I have a network of great friends, neighbors, and family that are willing to help us out and each take on an animal’s care.
Routine is important because it helps cut down the amount of time we have to take to care for everything. It’s also helpful because the animals know the routine and know exactly what they should do at feeding time. It makes it much easier for us!

~What other animals could we consider on our farm?
We are limited in space for some of the biggest farm animals. Cows and horses really aren’t in the cards for us due to their intense grazing needs and our lack of large amounts of grassy acres for them. I can’t rule out any of the smaller animals because as soon as I say no one seems to show up at our farm!

~Would we consider doing an open house for the public?
Yes we are doing just that! April 30- May 2 we are participating in a small farm tour in Northeast Wisconsin. We are one of 5 farms that visitors can tour, for free, and meet the farmers and see their operations.
Black Frog Farm is offering an opportunity to meet our goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks and llamas. We will also have baby ducks and chickens to see, along with geese. Geese will be in full on nesting season, so those two will be in their pen with no visitors, sadly. We also will be having times throughout the weekend to walk a llama along our wooded trail. It’s an opportunity to learn more about our animals and what we do.
I’ll be posting more information on our Instagram page and Facebook page in coming weeks!
Anyone interested in a tour of our farm can also contact us via email, Facebook, or text/call to set up a time for a personal tour.

~Do we ever have “animal escapes?” How do we get the animals back?
Yes, we’ve had escapees here a couple times. Most often it’s the goats who take advantage of an open gate while we are trying to get a wheelbarrow of hay into their pen. In the case of goats we try to round them up as best we can and corner them to get a hold of their horns and bring them back to the pen. We haven’t had anyone escape through the fencing, and I walk the fence lines regularly to ensure there isn’t a way out!
We’ve had one llama escape happen when Nick and I were on vacation, and Aubrey was tending the llamas with some relatives. The gate was left open and Banana took advantage of it! Nick and I heard about it after the fact, but it sounded like some intense herding was needed to get Banana to run back into her pen. Aubrey and my Sis in Law are still holding grudges against Banana for that time! LOL!

~Why do you want all the work of owning a farm?
Simple answer, not all of it is work for me! I love being outside, and with the animals, growing my own herbs, knowing where my food comes from, and meeting new people. So our farm has offered all of that to me while being able to work at home. 2020 was a year of big changes for me, like so many other people. After leaving a long time job I decided to find outside the home work that would allow me to pursue my own farming dream at the same time. I have a job now that allows me full time work in winter and part time in Spring, Summer and Fall. So in 2020 we decided to jump in fully and see where the farm ideas take us. It’s a leap of faith for sure!!

Posted on

So, why llamas at Black Frog Farm?

I often get asked why I chose to add llamas to our farm, and what I plan to do with them. I found my love for llamas by accident, and now I can’t imagine my life without them.
Here’s what happened…
I had heard some llamas that were good guards for goats. Well, we have goats and goats are basically a walking meal for predators. Especially fainting goats, who topple over at the first signs of anything scary. I did all kinds of research on llamas and figured that I could handle caring for one and have it guard my goats. Enter Banana. Banana was our first llama that I purchased from a farmer through a Craigslist ad. As far as llamas go she is basically the WORST animal I could have gotten as a new llama owner! That whole “hindsight is 20/20” thing can be annoying. Banana is crabby, spitty, hard to handle and hard to halter. Let’s just say that I got baptized in llama spit early on. I also found that Banana was a good guard, only because she is territorial and not because she ever bonded with our goats. In fact, she barely tolerated the goats. They annoyed her ! I love that llama though…maybe because she is such a cranky animal and it’s sometimes amusing!

Fast foward a couple years and I have obviously added to my llama herd. I’ve learned by trial and error how to manage the Banana’s of the herd, and also the super easy going girls like Princess. The more I learned about llamas, and the more I had an opportunity to do hands on work with them, I found them easier to keep as pets. No amount of reading books, or blogs, or videos could really help me prepare for llamas other than just learn as I go.
They are very unique animals, and different than anything else I’ve ever worked with. They kind of remind me of cats in larger bodies – sometimes with a feral attitude, and ALWAYS judging you. They are incredibly smart animals, and I’ve even had to learn to how to move around them in a way that will allow them to trust me.

Up to this point our llamas have been the most useful for us to chill with, and for our farm promotion. Llamas aren’t a common thing around our area. There are several alpaca farms near us, but once you’ve been up close to both alpacas and llamas you can definitely feel the difference between the two. Alpacas usually go about 150#, whereas our llamas range 250-350#, so they are much larger than an alpaca. Since llamas are unique to our area people are interested in learning about them and being able to be up close to them and experience them. The highlight of any of our farm tours are when guests have the opportunity to get kisses from one of our girls, and are able to touch their soft coats. It’s hard to describe how it feels to be amongst a herd of llamas while they just do their own thing. It’s very rewarding.

On the list of llama usage is using them as pack animals. All over the world they are used as beasts of burden. They have become very popular for large game hunters in the western United States to help carry out supplies and animal meat from mountainous areas. Some llamas are good for guarding herds of goats or sheep (although NOT Banana 🙂 They are also used as show animals, and for breeding. In fact, the more I’ve learned about llamas I’ve found that showing and breeding is actually an incredibly popular thing in many parts of the country. People are very serious about their llamas, and travel all over the country to show them and win championships to showcase their farms. I hadn’t been exposed to it because it really isn’t a thing in our area of Wisconsin.

Breeding llamas for conformation (how their body structure is) and color, and especially for disposition is a serious undertaking. Well bred llamas can command high prices, and ones who consistently show well and produce high quality offspring are extraordinarily valuable. There is a lot of research that goes into breeding, including researching bloodlines. Reputable breeders aren’t breeding llamas just to sell them. High quality and well bred llamas are registered with the ILR (International Llama Registry), which provides a map of each llama’s family tree back for generations. Breeding requires thought into what you are looking for in your herd. I have found that every breeder has different opinions what their herd should look like, but the one thing they all seem to agree on is the disposition of the animal. As a llama owner I am still deciding on my preferences for fleece structure and body conformation, but I am pretty set on disposition. I want animals that are easy to handle, good mothers (if used for breeding), respectful of humans, and easy going. Other than Banana, all of our llamas have been registered with the ILR. It has become an important aspect for us as owners.

I’ve gotten to know some of the breeders in the llama world in the last couple years. Everyone has been incredibly helpful in me learning how to care for my animals. It’s immediately obvious that these people care about the welfare of their animals, and helping others to provide the best as well. They also care about llamas in general. Every reputable breeder is always trying to improve their llama herd in their breeding, and not out to make a quick buck. The llama world has been a very welcoming one, which I have greatly appreciated.

In spring each year we shear(shave their fleece) our llamas to help them stay cool through the summer. Shearing also helps me see their skin and body condition a little better, since their coats can be pretty thick. We have a shearer that comes to our farm and does each llama according to my instructions how I would like them to look. He also trims their toenails for us, and if any vaccinations are needed I give them at the same time since they are confined during the shearing process. Depending on the coat, or fiber of each llama I can get up to a contractor sized bag of fleece off of each one. The fleeces are very different on each of our animals. We purchased some llamas with fleece that is softer and longer in length. LLamas with this kind of fleece are known as “Suri” llamas. The fiber is long, soft, and curly and almost looks like dreadlocks on the animal. It sits flatter to the body and can create a beautiful yarn. Our Suri llamas are Princess, Prince, and Kisses. Because the “loft” or how it sits on the animal it doesn’t provide as much warmth to the animal in the harshness of winter. I purchased coats for our Suri llamas for the worst part of winter to ensure they stay warm enough. Our higher loft animals have more traditional coats – really fluffy and extends off the body which makes the llamas look even larger than they are. Our llamas with this kind of coat are Cloud, Banana, Pearl, and Peach. Generally these llamas are a little better in winter at handling the elements. In fact, on snowy days in winter they will sit out in the pasture with a blanket of snow on their backs. They are so well insulated that the snow doesn’t even melt. I do have blankets ready for Peach and Pearl this year though. Peach is an older gal, and age hasn’t been kind to her. Because of her elderly status I might have to blanket her depending on how cold it gets. Pearl is still just a baby, so she will likely get a coat during the deepest parts of winter this year because of her age alone. She has a fine “baby” fiber yet, that has to thicken up with age.

Our daughter Aubrey is enamored with the llamas. If anything has become the importance of these animals it’s that she has had her hands in helping care for and raise them. In the last couple years she has joined the local FFA (Future Farmers of America) group through her school, and looks forward to being able to show a few of our llamas in upcoming fairs. Both Nick and I have been very proud of the Aubrey’s work ethic for our animals. It’s also important to us as parents that she has the opportunity to grow up learning how to care for other beings.
Aubrey has been learning how to care for our llamas right alongside me, so it’s been an adventure for us both. It’s been enjoyable for me to learn so much about llamas! I’ll never know enough – each day brings something new to handle and learn from.

I am hopeful that the future of Black Frog Farm will include being able to breed llamas, and do our part in contributing to the improvement of the species. I also look forward to educating people about llamas, and sharing our love of them. We have people stopping along the road sometimes just to watch them play, or even try to figure out what they are.

Posted on

A day in my life at Black Frog Farm

I like getting stuff done. I like the feeling of getting work accomplished and crossing items off to-do lists. Nothing beats a weekend for me of getting some structure built, or fencing installed, or pasture cleared for me. It’s so satisfying to get a big job done that will make things easier as we move forward! Weird? Maybe! But it sure is a good trait to have in owning a farm!
Caring for animals isn’t new to me. I had pets growing up, and was lucky to spend time at both maternal and paternal grandparents who had animals as well. In my home when I was younger the rule was “the animals always eat before you.” I can still hear my mom saying that to me when the cats were meowing hungrily, winding around my kid sized legs. Today, I heard mom’s voice coming out of my mouth to my daughter saying the same thing!
Things just naturally tend to break into daily, weekly, and seasonal chores on the farm. Some stuff just isn’t able to get done in the cold of winter, and so it gets pushed to spring. Some things that we need to do in winter aren’t required in summer. So it all evens out.
Everything on our farm is about organization. It keeps me sane, and keeps the work to a manageable level. Without organizing the chores, sustaining our farm would be just impossible. Big clean out jobs, replacing bedding, filling large feeders, and cleaning water troughs are all night/weekend jobs. Nights and weekends are when all 3 of us in the family are able to pitch in to get big jobs done.
Weekends usually consist of a trip to the feed mill, restocking all feed in the feed cans, and filling chicken, duck, geese, and turkey feeding stations. Bedding changes for the goats, llamas, and birds happen on weekends most of the year, except when it’s really cold. When it’s really cold the bedding tends to freeze solid, so we utilize a “deep litter method” to handle it. It’s the process of simply adding fresh bedding over the soiled bedding throughout the winter months so the animals can use the fresh bedding. The soiled bedding slowly breaks down and begins to compost while still in the animal stalls and provides a slight amount of heat for them. So weekends in winter become bedding “refresh” times.
Weekends in winter and spring also are the time for bales of hay to be pulled out of the barn loft and brought into the lower part so it’s easily accessible to feed throughout the week. Both the goats and llamas get bales of hay daily since pasture isn’t growing in the cold of winter.
Daily chores are also split in our family between Aubrey and myself. Mornings outside start around 5:45am and are for feeding barn cats both wet and dry food, and making sure the cats are all in good health. Goats are checked to ensure adequate hay and water. Chickens, geese, turkeys and ducks are all let out of their coops in the morning so they can roam during the day. Their food and water gets a quick check to make sure it’s full, and anything that needs filling will be handled if required.
Llamas are fed a grain ration in the morning each llama gets a certain amount measured out based on their needs. Nursing moms get more, babies get as much as they want, and elderly (and kinda fat Peach) gets less to control her weight. Kisses and Banana get a smaller amount to ensure they get proper nutrition. I also add a dry mix to their feed of vitamins A, D & E. It helps their coats and skin, and vitamin D is good for them in winter when there is less sunshine. I stay with them while they eat to ensure everyone eats their own ration and don’t steal others, and nobody chokes on their food. With llamas (and alpacas) their long necks can sometimes get them in trouble with eating pelleted feed if they eat too fast leading to choking on their food. Choke is a medical emergency, so I ensure that I’m there to monitor.
Inside cats and dogs are fed and watered, and we get on our way to work and school by 6:45am.

Evening chores start with feeding barn cats again around 4:30pm with wet food, ensuring all the cats are seen at some point in the day by us. We have a regular crew that comes in to eat – some are friendly, some are not. Some we rarely ever see. And we know the routines of each cat. If a friendly cat who normally doesn’t miss a meal misses a couple of them it puts me on alert to check to make sure they aren’t injured or sick.
Llamas get fed a grain ration again, and the same process as in the morning. Goats are given their daily ration of goat feed mixed with vitamin mix A,D,E, and hay and water is checked to make sure it’s full. Eggs are picked from all the coops and brought inside to be cleaned. Inside cats and dogs are fed, and all the birds are locked in coops to protect them from predators through the night. Bedtime for our animals goes with the daylight. Right now in December, the birds are locked up by 6:30pm because they are all in their coops because it’s already dark. In summer, bedtime is more like 7:30pm as dusk is setting and they just start going inside their coops at that time.

It sounds like a lot to do, but daily feeding is the time we get to hang with our animals and generally relax with them. It’s the time we take to love on them all, and get to know any newer additions and them us. My own favorites to manage are the cats and the llamas. Our cats who are people friendly generally don’t miss feeding time, so I can pet my favorite friends and love on them. The llamas are just relaxing to me in general and I enjoy doing their care routines. Feeding them can be stressful though if someone is crabby in the herd and wants to spit or hog all the food. I make sure I’m there for any intervention if needed, and I know who will be the problem children each day based on their mood as soon as I get to their pen. Once they are done with their grains I bring a bale of hay to them and everyone still hungry munches on the hay. The rest just kind of mill around and I can love on my favorites then too. Usually Cloud, Pearl and Prince get some kisses from us because they give them back 🙂

The seasonal part of chores all have their challenges. We are now moving into winter, when water troughs need heating elements in them, and electricity requirements are at a premium in all animal pens. One faulty heater for a trough means frozen water for those animals – and taking a hammer or hatchet and breaking open the ice to replace the heater. This usually happens when it’s super cold, and I can’t begin to tell you how much it sucks to deal with! Winter also means heavy lifting of shoveling snow paths for the humans to get to the animals, and paths for the animals to get in and out of their shelters. Heavy lifting comes in again with hauling bales of hay to goats and llamas, moving hay bales in the barn from storage to easy access, and hauling large buckets of water to all animals to fill water troughs. (side note….heating hoses are on my want list!! But even they can freeze during the harsh Wisconsin winter). And then the most annoying part of winter for me – putting on all the dang clothing layers I need before going out to do the chores! LOL!

Summer isn’t without challenges either. Warmer weather means more water changes, scrubbing troughs more often, ensuring all animals have shade and access to electrolytes in water as well. The llamas are not fans of heat at all. I get them sheared in late spring to help them stay cool in the summers. They also get large fans in their shelter, cool water misters, and periodical hosing down of the belly during extreme heat. During extreme heat everyone gets checked on multiple times a day to ensure they are doing alright.

Late spring and late fall are my favorite times on the farm. In late spring the days are longer, and it’s much easier to do any outside chores without a head lamp on. It’s also still cool, and all of the animals are happy and enjoying the temperatures. Everything green is waking up! Fall is also a favorite because of the colors in the gardens and trees. The llamas especially are fun in late fall when the air gets crisp. They love the weather turning colder, and their enjoyment shows through chasing each other and running like crazies through the pastures.
When they bounce on all fours it’s called pronking, and it’s a sure sign they are happy. It’s also so much fun to watch!

Spring, Summer, and Fall are times we use to get structural things done to the farm. Wooden fencing posts are dug in and metal T posts are installed and then fencing is run. Any additions, changes, or fixes to shelters are done during this time. Pastures are seeded a couple times during the warmer months to ensure good growth, and pastures need to be cut with the lawnmower to keep the weeds out. Summer brings growing season with it, allowing us to grow any plants or vegetables. The addition of the plants and herbs to our farm sales offerings have also added the chore list of watering, picking, drying, etc. to keep up with it. This is also the time of year that beekeeping is busy in keeping up the hives and making sure the colonies are doing well. Late summer/early fall is honey harvest time, which is a whole blog by itself 🙂

Spring is the season of BABIES on the farm! Most years we order baby chickens to arrive in April. It’s also goose breeding season, if we want to hatch some of the goslings out. This coming year we’re trying our hands at ducks and turkeys!! I can’t wait to see what that brings!

Our family enjoys being outside most of the year. Super hot and super cold times are not so fun, but normally doing the chores and being outside is the best part for us. I get asked often how we handle all the work! Some of it isn’t work to us, as you can now see. I’ll admit though, some days are hard too. Our goal is to work each year to make everything easier the next year. We are always improving, brainstorming, working to streamline things. My relaxation comes at the end of the day, drink in hand, watching the animals doing their thing. It makes it all worthwhile.