On The Farm
Many of our buyers & visitors have expressed an interest about what it is we do around here, so I thought I would keep you updated.
July 20, 2010: The weather here has been intensely hot & humid with the heat index hovering at 115 every day. We have lost a few puppies to the heat &, in fact, we lose more puppies to the heat every year than the cold despite my efforts to keep them cool on a wet towel under a fan with pedialyte every few hours to keep them hydrated & nutrical to keep glucose levels up. We also lost our good friend that just constructed our new shop & barn last week on a 116 degree day. It is a struggle to keep all the animals cool & comfortable in the extreme weather we have here in OK. We continue to have regular calls with questions from people who have purchased their Aussies from other "breeders". My first question to them is why are they not asking the breeder they purchased "their" puppy from. The answer is always the same. "They won't answer emails or return phone calls". This should be a lesson to all. Only buy from a breeder you feel certain will make a lifelong commitment to his or her puppies & you the buyer to answer questions or address concerns at any time during the dogs life. Breeder/buyer relationship is VERY important. We also continue to get regular calls & emails on the "mini" Australian Shepherds. Mini's are NOT a breed recognized by AKC or ASCA. This information is clearly posted on their websites. Do your research people. This is not rocket science. Mini's are not purebred Australian Shepherds. They have a smaller toy breed bred into them to get their height down making them a mutt .... another breed that is colored as an Aussie. Don't be fooled by this practice. Plain & simple ... if you buy a "mini" you are NOT buying an Australian Shepherd.
May 4, 2010: WOW what a busy spring it has been! We have just completed the new shop & barn to accommodate our expanding business needs for the diesel repair business & for all of the animals. Thankfully the weather cooperated really well & temperatures have been wonderful during the entire building project. We currently have some VERY nice puppies available & our new baby colts should begin arriving anytime. Let me know if there is something in particular you are looking for. I'll be happy to help.
February 22, 2010: It has been a terribly wet, snowy, & muddy mess here all winter so visitors, please excuse the awful mess & know the dogs & puppies are not at their best in this kind of weather. Our newest litter arrived last night from Penny sired by Rookie. We have additional litters scheduled to arrive in March & April & are expecting all four colors. We have had exceptional results from changing dog foods last summer, per the last update, & highly recommend Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, & Purina Pro Plan. Will be a busy spring here with our foals arriving April, May, & June as well. Our baby bulls will be ready to go in May & will be fertility tested before being placed.
October 12, 2009: Fall has definitely settled in & we have had a much cooler than normal October. Hay is in the dog houses to keep everyone warm & dry. Only a few puppies remain available in Dusty's litter. Bella had her first litter. They are beautiful but we lost 4 of 8 puppies. 2 died, 2 had to be put to sleep. Claire is having puppies as I write this. They are beautiful. I'm not sure if Penny is bred or not. Millie & Tandy are the next girls due in just a few weeks. Mia is in heat & will be bred to an outside male. Ellie is in heat & will be bred to Pepsi to see if she is red factored. We experienced some problems over the summer with the Diamond Dog Food we have fed for years. About 10 other breeders I know experienced the same problems & several of my buyers that I recommended that food to as well had problems. We have switched to Iams, Eukanuba, Purina Pro Plan, & Science Diet. All are great foods & the manufacturers put out some great coupons. Petsmart also has some really good sales on these brands of dog food & have some great offers on free, or reduced priced, cans when you purchase a bag. Be sure to take advantage of the free offers from the manufacturer by sending in the upc codes. Our dogs have thrived on the new foods & Dusty's puppies are the biggest, fattest babies we have ever raised. We are very pleased with the results.
August 3, 2009: We have had much cooler weather here for July than usual but triple digit heat is on its way to stay for awhile beginning tomorrow. We were blessed with 4 bull calves & 1 heifer during the month of July. So glad all the calving is done before it got too hot. Let me know if you would like to be on the waiting list for a yearling bull next summer. They are super nice & sired by the same bull as last years calves. See their pics on the bulls for sale page. Our Stallion Haflinger was exposed to 6 mares for a May/June 2010 foal crop. I'm expecting excellent offspring from him! Let me know if you would like to book a mare for a Feb - May 2010 breeding. We are expecting our newest litter of puppies from Dusty & Ely late next week. As usual, they will be fantastic! Only 3 puppies remain available from Ellie's litter. They are so very sweet. We have big plans in the works to expand our operation. We are currently having house plans drawn up with a much larger shop than what we have available now. The economy has not slowed any of our four business's. We are so blessed & fortunate to sell all of the puppies, calves, & foals we can raise around here & to be covered up with diesel repair. There is usually a 2 week wait for service. God is definitely on our team! When writing out your check for tithes & offering please remember our friends at Blaze's Equine Rescue http://www.blazesequinerescue.com/. They are a not for profit organization that take in starved, abused, & neglected horses that are caught up in the court system & must be cared for until their perpetrator's are prosecuted. They do their very best to rehabilitate these animals & place them for adoption when possible. Your donation will likely be spent on feed, hay, farrier & vet care & supplies & is tax deductible. Thanks in advance for your support.
July 8, 2009: The weather here has been a little cooler, below 100 anyway. We're having a good rain this morning & that will help tone down the summer wildfire's around here. We had a new heifer calf this morning & a bull calf last week. Ellie's puppies are growing & will be ready to go home in the next few weeks. I have helped several other people set up a website over the last few years & will be happy to help. If anyone is interested just send me an email or give me a call. It cost alot less than you might think, less than $60 a year. I setup & maintain my website myself & it is very simple. If you can read & follow directions, you can setup your own website. I'll be happy to share some marketing techniques as well. A website is a great way to promote whatever it is you're selling.
June 26, 2009: Triple digit heat here in Oklahoma with heat indexes of 110+. It has been miserably hot. The dogs are keeping cool in their 25 gallon tubs of water that are refilled several times daily, usually 4. Plenty of shade is a must! Both of our Angus Brangus X bulls have sold. A big thank you to our buyers. Our cows are due to start calving late July thru Labor Day so let me know if you want to be added to my waiting list for a 2010 yearling bull.
June 14, 2009: Straight from winter to summer, as usual, in OK. Hot, hot, hot. I have recently purchased some 25 gallon tubs for water & the dogs LOVE them to cool off in! We have doubled our breeding program over the last few months to try to meet the demand for quality puppies. We have retained a red tri boy & a black tri boy & have added 4 blue merle girls & 1 red merle girl to our program. They should be in production in 2010 & 2011. Only 2 puppies remain from our spring puppy crop of 25. They are beautiful blue boy's with glass blue eyes & so smart & sweet natured. Ellie's puppies are 4 wks of age today & are spectacular! Dusty is currently in heat & being bred to Ely. Our beautiful girl, Cinnamon & best working dog, went to live on a big ranch in Kansas City, MO as a ranch hand where her talents will be used daily. Her pics are on the "Training A Working Dog" pages. A big thanks to our buyers that are interested in breeding that have looked to us for guidance in getting their breeding programs off to a great start with quality dogs. Good luck in your future sales & in all that you do! We have purchased an AHR Halfinger Stallion & 4 mares & look foward to our May/June 2010 foal crop.
May 4, 2009: Winter is STILL here! Ugh. By now we should be having 80 degree sunny afternoons! And rain, rain, rain so I haven't been able to get good puppy pictures to update the pages with. Ticks have also been a big problem already. All of the puppies are doing well & nearly half of our 25 have already been sold. They will be ready to go home near the end of the month right when school is getting out. Thanks so much to all of our buyers. Our beautiful girl, Ellie, is bred to our fabulous foundation sire, Ely, due towards the end of May. I will be holding back some pups out of that litter. Our best working dog, Tandy, is currently in heat & will be due for a summer litter. If you don't see what you're looking for on our pages, let me know what your request is. I have many breeder friends I can refer you to or add you to our waiting list for our next litters. I am currently on the hunt for registered Haflingers. Send pics & info of what you have available.
April 11, 2009: Winter seems to be hanging around awhile as temperatures have been very cold here for this time of year ... at, near, & below the freezing mark. All 3 litters have arrived & are doing well. Thanks so much to our buyers who have already put their name on a puppy. You are so greatly appreciated. The 3 new yards have been added measuring 33' x 115'. The dogs really enjoy having so much room to run & play & relax in the sunshine. Our black tri boy, Graham, that was retained from Dusty & Cutters December 2008 litter as a stud prospect is growing & thriving. He has excellent confirmation & bone structure, wonderful haircoat, correct bite, terrific earset, & an excellent temperament ... very calm & relaxing. I plan to add a page for him soon with pictures. He is excelling in obedience & loves his girls ... Gabby, Laynie, & Mia are the blue girls we plan to breed him to in a few years when they all reach breeding age. All of our puppies from our December litters have been placed in wonderful homes.
March 27, 2009: Penny's Puppies arrived this morning. Visit her page to see pictures. This is our first litter sired by Pepsi. All are beautiful & healthy. Millie's puppies are due next week & we are looking forward to them. Winter has reappeared with a major snow storm moving in tonight & hay had to be put out again in the dog houses to keep everyone dry & warm. Fencing supplies have been purchased to add 3 new yards but the project has to be put off a week due to weather. Ticks have already made their appearance here in Oklahoma & we are spraying every 2 weeks to keep them under control as best we can.
March 13, 2009: Winter has set in once again here but will be warming back up tomorrow & thru next week. That is typical weather here in Oklahoma, 30 degrees one day & 70 the next. We are anxiously awaiting the upcoming birth of our newest litters, sired by Pepsi, & look forward to meeting our buyers. After careful consideration, we have decided to expand our breeding program. A black tri male, Graham, has been retained from Dusty & Cutter's December 2008 litter as a stud prospect & 3 blue merle females have recently been purchased as "Graham's Girls". Graham possesses all of the positive attributes we look for in a stud. He has perfect confirmation & a sweet loving temperament. Our stud colt continues to grow & thrive. He is very ornery, as babies usually are, & so fun to watch him learning to use his legs for running & bucking.
February 24, 2009: Our mare had a beautiful little stud colt this morning. I believe he is a red dun. He is tiny, maybe 50 pounds, & already lets me walk right up to him & pet him. He is a little doll. Our youngest child passed the driving test on Friday the 13th so no more cheuffering kids around. Yeah! Our next litters are due late March & early April 2009. We are very excited to see our first litters sired by Pepsi. The weather here has been unseasonably warm for February. I hope March is the same as I really do not like cold weather.
January 4, 2009: Well the holidays are over & another new year has begun. Our newest litter has arrived. Dusty's puppies are the cutest & sweetest babies. The weather here has been extremely cold & I have been staying very busy keeping dry bedding in all the dog houses & in the kennel for the dogs. Our mare is due to foal in about 8 weeks. I have only been riding her bareback as none of my tack will fit her. She is extremely huge. I expect several of the girls to cycle in the next month or two so we should have several litters to choose from this spring. Let me know if there is something in particular you are looking for so I can add you to my waiting list.
November 29, 2008: It has turned off very cold here & all of the dog houses are now winterized with warm comfy hay for bedding in the kennel & dog houses. Dusty is growing a big baby belly & is waddling along. We are really looking forward to her new babies sired by Cutter. I am keeping busy with lots of bookwork for the 3 business's & spending time with the dogs. I am currently sold out of kids horses but plan to restock in the spring so let me know if you would like to be added to our waiting list. We also have a nice selection of tack on our "Tack For Sale" page. We also have some very good quality hay for sale. Our oldest child is now 18 & moved out on his own, working full-time & going to school. Our youngest child is driving. The diesel repair business is busier than ever & there is normally a 2-3 week wait. A GREAT BIG THANKS to all of our clients! Happy Holidays everyone!
October 25, 2008: Our buyers continue to be a joy to our lives & thanks so much for all of the pictures, updates, & wonderful letters everyone has sent to us regarding the purchase of one of our puppies. You truly are a blessing! Mornings here have been quite cold but still warming up nicely in the afternoons. We will soon be putting hay in the dog houses for the winter so everyone will be nice & comfy during cold weather & start the livestock on their winter feeding schedule.
October 11, 2008: Dusty has come into heat earlier this week & I plan to breed her to Cutter. Their pups will be due mid December 2008. The weather here has been outstanding & I have been getting alot of riding done.
September 28, 2008: It appears that Ely did not get his job done in breeding the girls that were in heat in August so it appears that we won't be having any puppies in October. Dusty should be our next girl to cycle & I plan to breed her to our new male Cutter. He is an absolute joy to have & is just beautiful. Oh how he does love the water!
September 16, 2008: September has brought much cooler weather but, unfortunately, another outbreak of ticks. We are making every effort to keep them under control. Our trip to Illinois was a great one to pick up our new sire, Cutter. We think he is a tremendous asset to our breeding program. Our 30 something year old mare Charlotte is not faring well & I will be surprised if she lives until winter. She has been a "good ole girl" & a pleasure to have. She has been a wonderful confidence builder for our daughter to learn to ride on & many of the neighbor kids. We are very excited about our upcoming litters later in October & continue to receive requests for puppies. We are also now able to take Visa & Mastercard but must add 5% as this is what the credit card company charges us for use of their machine.
August 25, 2008: August is nearly over & back to school is underway. Our weather here has been much cooler & quite comfortable with cool mornings & warm afternoons & our tick problem is improving. Congratulations to all the kids who received one of our precious puppies this summer as a gift. We currently only have 1 puppy available out of our 4 huge litters that we were blessed with in late spring & early summer. A huge thank you to all of our buyers that help make our business a success. We sincerely appreciate all the referrals that have been sent to us. The diesel repair business is busier than ever & we have landed several new accounts this summer. Keeping the books for Diesel Repair, the farm, & the kennel plus all the marketing keep me extremely busy 7 days a week in addition to providing attention, care, & maintenance to each individual dog & breaking 3 colts. And don't forget the never ending stack of laundry, cooking, & housecleaning. I am looking forward to our upcoming fall litters due in October sired by Ely. The baby calf we were expecting took a tragic turn for the worse & we lost mama & baby. Heartbreaking as it is, that is life on the farm.
August 6, 2008: Whew! Our heat wave of 106 degree temps for another week straight is finally over & we are expecting a little rain this week & somewhat cooler temps. The hay is put up for the winter & we are STILL waiting on the arrival of our newest baby calf. I think we are more ready than the mama is. Maybe the cooler weather & falling pressure will do the trick. The ponies are started under saddle & going great. I expect all 3 to be excellent children's mounts for next year. The dogs are certainly glad to have some cooler weather for lounging around in but still take their regular dunks in the water to keep cool. I keep fresh cool water out for them every few hours in this heat. I am also looking for some nice quality saddles. Visit my wanted page for details & send me pics of what you have available. Thanks so much to all of our viewers who continue to visit our site & send us referrals. It is great to hear from all of you across the nation!
July 30, 2008: We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest baby calf. The weather here has been extremely hot & humid, 100 degree weather for several days straight & very high humidity. The dogs are keeping cool with regular dunks in the water tubs & lounging in the shade & the horses & cows spend alot of their time in the pond. I have recently purchased some excellent quality registered Quarter Pony geldings that I will be starting under saddle this week. I will post their pics & info on the Quarter Ponies page so if you're looking for a show prospect for a kid for next year, these are exceptional quality. I continue to be on the hunt for quarter ponies if anyone has one they need to move before winter. I have several clients asking for them. I appreciate all of the response from everyone helping me reach my goal with the quarter ponies. You are so very appreciated.
July 23, 2008: Well the rain has FINALLY stopped & another HOT & HUMID Oklahoma summer has begun. We are at nearly 40" of rainfall so far for the year & usually only receive 36" annually. So, with the spring rain, that lasted into part of summer, have come our yearly outbreak of ticks, which are a huge problem in our neck of the woods. We continue to regularly treat our animals & yards but the dogs in particular still have them. So if you buy a puppy from us this time of year, you WILL find ticks on them. We are excited about our lease of 40 acres near us so now we have 55 accessible acres for the cattle & horses & for riding. The property yielded some decent quality round bales of hay that are for sale. Email fifteenacrefarms@yahoo.com or call 918-706-1931 if you are local & would like to purchase some. I am looking to purchase some quarter ponies if anyone local has one. See the "Wanted" page for details.