Green Meadows Blog

We Are Now Closed For Our 2011 Season!

2011-11-08T09:15:00.002-06:00

We want to thank everyone for a great 2011 season. We appreciate you and hope that you had fun! Thanks again so much, and we will see you in May 2012 when we open back up for the 2012 season!!!

Cactus Charlie Will Be Performing On October 22 and 23!!!!

2011-10-22T09:12:00.002-05:00

Cactus Charlie is a Guinness Book Of World Record holder and World Champion rope spinner! He will be performing at 11:30 and 2:30 on Saturday and Sunday! Don't miss his exciting cowboy entertainmeant show!!!!

Singer/Songwriter/Musician John Statz Will Be Performing At The Farm On Saturday, October 15th, 2011!!!!

2011-10-14T22:35:00.003-05:00

We are so excited to have John Statz performing at the farm this weekend. He will be singing from 11:00 - 12:00 and 1:00 - 2:00. He will be singing his song "Green Meadows" from his new album!!!! You won't want to miss this!

Hippie Tom From American Pickers Is Going To Be At The Farm This Weekend!!!!!

2011-10-14T15:40:00.003-05:00

Come and meet Hippie Tom from American Pickers at the farm this weekend, October 15th and 16th. Hippie Tom is lots of fun to talk to, and he will have some of his stuff available to buy!!!! You won't want to miss him!!!!

We Are Open Columbus Day!!!!

2011-10-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

You can arrive at the farm anytime between 10:00 and 3:00 and stay at the farm as long as you would like! It sounds like it is going to be a beautiful day!

It Is Going To Be A Beautiful Weekend At The Farm!!!!

2011-10-06T21:30:00.002-05:00

The weather is going to be incredible for a fall visit to come to the farm! On Saturday, we have a group of poultry kids that will be sharing their love of poultry to all of the farm visitors! Dave The Pumpkin Carver will be carving pumpkins, and there will be Chicken Poop Bingo!!!! There are 10 acres of pumpkins to choose from, and you pick them right off of the vine!! New baby chicks and ducklings will be arriving for the weekend, too! Lots of fun, so plan on staying the day!!!!

September 27th, 2011--We Are Closed Today Due To Rain!!!!!

2011-09-27T06:54:00.001-05:00

Cactus Charlie to Perform at Green Meadows Farm on October 1 and 2!!!!

2011-09-26T11:36:00.003-05:00

We are excited to have Cactus Charlie performing at Green Meadows Petting Farm on October 1 and 2, 2011. Charlie is a two-time world record holder for rope spinning and a two-time Guinness Book of World Record holder for his rope spinning. He will perform at 11;30 and 2:30 each day. Come for the gun spinning, whip cracking and rope twirling excitement!!!!

It's Pumpkin Time At Green Meadows Petting Farm!!!!!

2011-09-23T20:24:00.002-05:00

Our fall season starts on Saturday, September 24th!!!! We are open every day through the month of October!!! You can arrive anytime between 10:00 and 1:00 during the week, and 10:00 and 3:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. These are arrival times, and you can stay at the farm as long as you would like! Admission includes a FREE pumpkin! Take the wheelbarrows out into the patch and do the great pumpkin search!!! :) Pony ride, hayride, milking the cow, playing with the animals, and all farm activities are included! Come and spend a beautiful. peaceful day at the farm!!! We hope to see you!

Days Filled For Group Reservations Are October 6th, 7th, and 21st! All other days are still available!

2011-09-06T11:52:00.001-05:00

We Are Closed Until September 24th, 2011 Getting Ready For Our Fall Season!!!

2011-09-06T11:49:00.002-05:00

We will open up again on Saturday, September 24th for pumpkin time!!! We are planning lots of fun activities and can't wait to open back up! Come for a pumpkin and meet all of our animal friends!

We Are Open Labor Day!!!!

2011-09-04T21:44:00.002-05:00

You can arrive anytime between 10:00 and 2:00 and stay at the farm as long as you would like!!!! We will then close for a short time and open up for our fall season on Saturday, September 24th!!!! Pumpkin time!!!!!

We Will Be Open All Of Labor Day Weekend!!!!

2011-09-01T23:01:00.003-05:00

On Friday, September 2nd, you can arrive anytime between 10:00 and 1:00 and stay at the farm as long as you would like. On Saturday, Sunday, and Labor Day, you can arrive anytime between 10:00 and 2:00 and stay at the farm as long as you would like. We hope to see you!

7-28-11 Closed Today Due To Rain!!!!

2011-07-28T08:15:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011--We are closed today due to weather!

2011-07-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

Sitting On Eggs Under The Chicken House!!!!

2011-06-05T22:34:00.003-05:00

I looked under the chicken house and got a surprise! This little hen is sitting on eggs--I am sure one of these days she will come out with chicks following her!

Planting Pumpkins!!!!!

2011-06-05T22:24:00.003-05:00

Charlie was busy getting the pumpkins planted today. He planted 10 acres of all different kinds of pumpkins and gourds! It will be fun to see all of the different shapes and sizes!!! here he is getting the planter ready to go!

We opened up all of the different kinds of seeds and mixed them together! The ones that are supposed to grow up to 200 pounds, Charlie will plant by hand so that he can "baby" them along to see how big we can get them to be! By fall they will be ready to be picked out in the pumpkin patch!

Patty Pig Stays Cool!!!

2011-06-02T00:55:00.002-05:00

As the weather warms up, Patty finds the mud to keep cool! Pigs are very clean animals, but they lack the sweat glands in their skin. The mud helps them to keep cooler, keeps bugs off of them, and acts as a sun tan lotion!!! :)

Farmers Maddie and Megan enjoy some time with Patty!!!

Farmer Susan playing basketball with Patty!!! Patty Pig has personality plus! We love Patty Pig!

We Are Open Memorial Day Weekend!!!!

2011-05-26T07:44:00.001-05:00

We are open all three days of Memorial Day weekend! Arrive anytime between 10:00 and 2:00 and stay at the farm as long as you would like! We hope to see you!

We Open Up May 4th For The 2011 Season!!!

2011-05-02T23:34:00.002-05:00

We have lots of baby animals to play with!!! We can't wait to see you!

Baby Goats!!!!

2011-04-30T15:15:00.003-05:00

Nora just had triplets, so that makes 14 baby goats (kids) in two weeks! There were 3 sets of triplets, 2 sets of twins, and 1 single!!!! Lots of babies to play with! The momma and baby goat pen will be lots of fun!!!

Tulip The Goat Has A Little Boy!

2011-04-28T22:29:00.002-05:00

Tulip had a beautiful little boy today! She is a great mom--mother and baby boy are both doing well! It is nice to know that he is polled (he will not grow horns), because both mom and dad are polled.

I went back to look at a picture of Tulip and her two sisters when they were born. They were our first set of triplets that we had had, and they were so tiny! Their mom, Lilly, did not know if she wanted to take care of them at first, so I had brought them home to bottle feed them. Here they are laying in our living room. I worried a lot about them, so I was so proud of Tulip today as I saw her taking care of her baby!

Meet Terry The Donkey!!!

2011-04-28T22:20:00.003-05:00

Meet Terry the donkey!!! This little cutie is eight years old and a very quiet guy. He loves people and will hopefully be the daddy of some babies at the farm next year.

More Baby Ducklings!!!

2011-04-28T22:09:00.002-05:00

More baby ducks hatched out today, and this time there were ten! Muscovy ducks are wonderful mothers. She was very dedicated to her nest, and she only got up once or twice a day to eat and drink water. Now she has ten little ducklings to take care of. They love crawling all over her, and then they go underneath her to stay warm.

When mom gets up to eat and drink, they follow along with her. They watch and follow what she does! :)

They even got into this little dish to go for a "swim"! Mother duck is going to be a very busy gal!

Baby Ducklings!!!!

2011-04-26T23:56:00.002-05:00

Daisy, the Muscovy duck, sat on her eggs for 35 days and hatched out 3 baby ducklings! Muscovy ducks have to sit on their eggs an extra week longer than "regular" ducks. She was a very patient mother--she only got off of her next 1 or 2 times a day to eat and drink. Otherwise, she sat on her eggs to make sure they stayed warm. It will be fun to watch them follow mother around at the farm--come and see them!

Shearing Sheep and Trimming Feet!!!!

2011-04-26T23:45:00.002-05:00

We are getting everything and everyone ready to open up at the farm on May 4th!!!! That included the shearing of all of the sheep today! When sheep are placed on the ground as if they are seated, they stay pretty still. This makes it easy to shear them! The sheep were all given their new look except for the two hair sheep. Dottie and Twister shed on their own since they have hair and not wool. The sheep also got their toenails trimmed!

The ponies, horses and donkeys also got their feet trimmed. Sugar is being a very good girl while it was her turn. She is ready to give pony rides!!!

We've Got Triplets!!!!!

2011-04-19T15:44:00.003-05:00

In fact we have two sets of triplets!!! Long Tall Sally had two little girls and one little boy!

Sweet Pea had her babies the next day--and also had two little girls and a boy. Both moms are great moms, and moms and babies are all doing well!

There Will Be New Lambs Soon!!!!!

2011-04-14T00:47:00.004-05:00

There will be babies any day!!!!! Talk about wide loads!!! We can't wait!

We Open Up May 4th For The 2011 Season!!!!!

2011-04-06T22:56:00.003-05:00

We open up four weeks from today!!!! We are counting down the days and are excited to see everyone again. The animals look forward to having visitors!!!!

April, The Brown Swiss Calf

2011-04-02T23:18:00.004-05:00

Ashley, the Brown Swiss cow, had a heifer calf yesterday morning. A heifer is a girl, and since she was born on April Fool's Day, she was named April. Ashley was at Green Meadows Petting Farm last May and June. April is a big girl and weighs about 100 pounds. She was standing up less than a half hour after she was born.

Kate Gosling Comes Visiting!!!!!

2011-04-02T23:10:00.003-05:00

I had the door from the garage open so that Kate Gosling could watch me cook supper!!! She always seems to want to keep an eye on me to see what I am doing. Pretty soon she decided she wanted to help cook supper, too! She is just like a dog and always wants to be by me. Who know that a goose could be such a loyal friend? Life is always exciting!!

Days Filled For Group Reservations Are: May 18th, 19th, 20th and 26th.

2011-03-27T19:05:00.002-05:00

All other days are still available. We are closed on Mondays keeping them in case rain days are needed. We look forward to hearing from you!

Tommy Turkey At Hal's House of Harley!!!!!

2011-03-27T18:44:00.003-05:00

I uploaded some old pictures and found these of Tommy Turkey and friend at Hal's House of Harley right before Thanksgiving. They had a special event that they were invited to. Lots of fun!!!!

Happy Birthday Patty Pig!!!!!

2011-03-24T16:09:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet Patty Pig!!!!!!! We love you!!!!

Facebook Fans--Want A Chance To Win A Family Four Pass?

2011-03-17T20:42:00.005-05:00

We have an offer on Facebook for a chance to win a family four pass to come to the farm. "Like" us on Facebook, and then get at least 10 friends to "Like" us as well. Have them post who sent them, and I will keep track. We will draw two winners, and the person with the most friends will autimatically win a family four pass!!!! There will be three winners!!!! This will end on March 20, 2011. There is still time!!!!

A Family-Run Business Since 1964!!!!

2011-03-05T16:20:00.003-06:00

Green Meadows Petting Farm in Waterford, Wisconsin has been a family-run business since 1964. The Keyes family started out having a pick-your-own vegetable farm and soon expanded to having school kids come to visit the animals on the farm. Today, there are Green Meadows Farms across the United States all run by the Keyes family. Charlie Keyes is the manager at the Wisconsin farm, and he is also a Guinness World record holder with the largest loop spun (114.5 feet of rope!!!). We look forward to opening up Wednesday, May 4th, for the 2011 season!!!

Days Filled For Group Reservations Are May 18, 20, and 26 for the 2011 Season!

2011-03-02T09:55:00.002-06:00

All other days are still available. We are closed Sundays and Mondays. We look forward to hearing from you!!! We open up May 4th for the 2011 season!!!!!

Active Kids Fest!!!!

2011-02-28T15:54:00.004-06:00

All set up waiting for the Just Add Kids Active Kids Fest to start!!!!! We have Bessie the pretend milking cow, baby goslings, corn to play in, and pictures to color!!!!

Farmers Stephaney and Travis are holding Ming and Spike--two of the baby goslings.

I caught a Star Wars character playing in the corn and Boo Boo Bear coloring a Green Meadows Farm coloring picture!!!! Lots of fun and activities!!!! :)

Cactus Charlie!!!!!

2011-02-28T15:47:00.004-06:00

Cactus Charlie (Farmer Charlie) had fun entertaining the crowd at the Just Add Kids Active Kids Fest on February 26, 2011. He showed his tricks and then got the crowd involved trying to spin the rope as well. He even cracked the whip to show everyone how loud it is!!!!

Days Filled For Reservations Are May 18th And 20th, 2011

2011-02-24T10:26:00.002-06:00

All other days are still available to bring your group!!!!! We are closed Sundays and Mondays. Mondays are used as rain days if needed!

New Baby Goslings--They Will Be At The Active Kids Expo!!!!!

2011-02-24T10:08:00.002-06:00

We are excited to be going to the Active Kids Expo on Saturday, February 26, 2011 put on by Just Add Kids!!!!! This morning I made an early run to the post office to pick up our new farm "friends"--8 baby goslings!!!! There are 4 females and 4 males. I ordered 3 kinds--Roman Tufted, Embden, and Brown Chinese.

The Roman Tufted are a smaller goose with a small tuft of feathers on

their head. They are very friendly!!!!

See the guy in the front with the "hair-do"!!!!!! :)

The Embden is a large white goose that is known for growing fast.

The Brown Chinese are the smallest of the domestic geese, and they are sometimes called "swan geese" because of the way they hold their head. They are the most "talkative" of all the geese and are already the noisy guys in the group!!!!

Thank you Purely Poultry for our new friends, and we look forward to seeing you at the Active Kids Expo. Come on by to meet these cuties and register for a chance to win a family 4-pack to the farm!!!!

Friday, May 20, 2011 Is Now Filled!!!!

2011-02-07T19:53:00.002-06:00

All other days at this time are still available. We are closed Sundays and Mondays in the spring and summer. Mondays are generally kept open in case of rain days.

Double Blizzard Excitement!!!!

2011-02-05T15:16:00.003-06:00

During the blizzard Daisy was have twins!!!! We named them Black Blizzard and Snowball!!!! Mom and kids are doing great, and the kids are as feisty as the wind that was blowing that day!!!! Daisy is a VERY patient mom!!!!!

Our Llamas!!!!

2011-01-30T20:11:00.003-06:00

Our baby llama was born August 29, 2010. She was a surprise to us, so we named her Surprise!!! We have wanted a very friendly llama, and I think it is going to be her!! We spent lots of time with her when she was a baby, so she is very curious and trusting. I sometimes call her "Little Hummer", because she is almost always humming. Humming is one of the ways that llamas communicate with each other. Mom is Millie, and dad is Macho Man!!! Surprise looks like dad.

Llamas are members of the camel family (camelids). They were domesticated in the Andean highlands of Peru. They are used as pack animals and guard animals. They will protect sheep and goats from coyotes, etc. They provide fiber to be spun and woven. Llamas are wonderful companions--sensitive, intelligent, calm, and predictable. They make wonderful 4-H projects for children.

A single baby (a cria) is born during the daytime. The mother is standing up while she has her baby. They weigh about 18-35 pounds when they are born, and they are usually standing up and nursing within an hour after they are born. Mom carried the baby for 350 days.

Llamas have discreet bathroom habits. Their droppings are deposited in the community bathroom pile!! They are a modified ruminant with a 3 compartment stomach. They chew their cud like cattle, sheep, and goats. They are very social and do not like to be alone. They can spit, but they usually just do it to each other if they are upset.

Chickens Are Amazing!!!!!!

2011-01-27T22:07:00.003-06:00

I have a love for chickens, and the chicken pen at the farm is always a highlight!!! So I found great delight in hearing actress Julia Roberts say "Chickens are amazing!" on the Ellen Show yesterday! She was talking about her family's animals, and she went on to talk about Veronica-one of their hens. She then told Ellen how they had all of the chickens named and how the chickens would run to them like puppy dogs!!!!

Many urban communities are working on getting chickens legalized. Besides being wonderful pets, they supply fresh eggs, great entertainment, fertilizer, and learning opportunities!!! Madison, Wisconsin residents are now allowed to have 4 hens. No roosters are allowed, though!!!! :) Many pet stores are now getting into treats for your chickens--Happy Hen Treats!!!

After hearing Julia talk about her chickens, I thought about all of the great hens and roosters that are at Green Meadows Petting Farm!!!! My kids also had many incredible pets in their chickens as they were growing up--Rebecca, Moses, Solomon, Esther, Sidewinder, George, Tiny, Champ, and Phyllis--just to name a few. We really have had so much fun with the chickens, because--"Chickens are amazing!!!".

We Open May 4th for the Spring 2011 Season!!!!!

2011-01-18T22:09:00.003-06:00

We look forward to seeing you!!!!

It Is Time To Make Your Reservations For The 2011 Season!!!!!!

2011-01-16T13:51:00.002-06:00

We are closed Sundays and Mondays--all other days are still available at this time. Make your reservations early to get the days that you want!!!!! It is easy to reserve online!!!! We look forward to hearing from you!!!!!

Fun Play Area Pics!!!!!!

2011-01-16T13:33:00.003-06:00

Tunnels........

Bouncy balls.............

Hippity-Hop Corral...........

and The Magical Music Machine!!!!!!!!! More to come for 2011!!!!!!!

Thanks Kelly from www.capturedmomentsforyou.com
for the great pictures!!!!

Fun Farm Photos!!!!!!

2011-01-16T12:08:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Kelly Klein @ Captured Moments Photography for these wonderful photos from their day at the farm last fall!!!! Milking Snowball!!!!!!

Posing and smiling with Little Lulu!!!!!! :)

The kitty barn is always a favorite spot at the farm!!!!

This picture says it all!!!! You can visit Kelly's website @ www.capturedmomentsforyou.com
Thanks Kelly!!!!!

"Farmer Bill" Is Honored In The Paper As A Volunteer!!!!

2011-01-15T16:01:00.009-06:00

"Farmer Bill" volunteers at A.E. Burdick School in Milwaukee. In fact, he toured them when they came to the farm a couple of years ago and had a soft spot for the kids! He went to them offering to come in and help out in the classroom!!! He works for us on Fridays as "Farmer Bill" taking kids around the farm to meet all of the animals!!! Here is an article that was written about him and we are mentioned, too! http.//muskego.patch.com/article/farmer-bill-combines-love-for-animals-amd-kids-through-volunteering

At the school "Farmer" Bill works with children with special needs where he is know as Grandpa Bill!!! :)

"Farmer" Bill with Kirsten. Kirsten is now 2 years old and just has her own little heifer calf--a little girl!!!! :)

I love the phrase--Children and adults with disabilities benefit from interaction with animals!!!!! I think that ALL children and adults benefit from interaction with animals!!!!!!

Here is "Farmer" Bill with Hannah when she was a baby!!!! This spring she will have her own kid/kids!!!!!

Congratulations to "Farmer" Bill!!!!!!! (Pictures taken by Bill's daughter Annie--thanks Annie!!!!)

Warm Weather Pictures!!!!!!

2011-01-11T10:32:00.002-06:00

In the middle of winter I couldn't resist putting on some warm weather pictures!!!! These pictures are from a good friend, and I couldn't resist putting on their "memories" of their day at Green Meadows Petting Farm!!!! Thank you!!!! :)

Cowboy The Texas Longhorn!!!!

2011-01-09T20:58:00.004-06:00

Cowboy in the back and Harry in the front!!! This picture was taken last June!!!!

Cowboy is a very gentle guy! It is amazing when he moves around that he is very aware where his horns are!!! You still have to move out of his way at times, but he would never try to hurt anyone.

He was born on a ranch up north that specialized in Longhorns. His birthday is October 27, 2007. His registered name is SCR (Sampson Creek Ranch) Cowboy!!! They helped us pick out a "youngster" that they felt would work out great for the farm. We also liked Cowboy's coloring and the fact that they felt his genetics would give him long horns! The first year that we had him his horns grew about a 1/2 inch per week from tip to tip! His horns are now well over 5 feet long from tip to tip!!!

The descendants of the Texas Longhorn cattle were brought to Santa Domingo, Mexico by Christopher Columbus. By the time of the Civil War, there were over 5 million Texas Longhorns in the Southwest. By the 1930's the open range was divided and fenced, and ranchers brought in more British and Brahman cattle, and Longhorn numbers went down fast. By the early 1960's there were only a few hundred left. The Texas Longhorn Cattle Association was started in 1964 to keep them from going extinct. Their efforts paid off--there are now over 100,000 Longhorns in the United States!!!

The bulls can weigh over a ton!!!
The cows are very docile and make very good mothers.
Cowboy is a steer. He is a "fixed" male. He is not a bull.
The record for the longest horns was on a steer--112 inches or 9 feet, 4 inches!!!!
Cowboy's best friend is Harry, the Scottish Highlander.

Some jokes--just for the fun of it!!!! Sorry!!!! :)

What kind of Texas cattle goes "Beeeep, beeeeep? A Longhorn!
What kind of music would you hear at a Texas Longhorn Steer concert? Texas Moo-sic!!!!
How do bulls drive their cars? They steer them!!!

Our Nigerian Goats!!!!!!

2011-01-09T16:36:00.003-06:00

Rosie, Tootsie, Candy, and Tulip!!!!! :)

Goats are a very important part of African culture. Agricultual historians think that some of these small goats came to the United States on the slave ships.

Nigerians are sometimes confused with Pygmy goats. There are different body types of goats. Nigerians are more "dairy" looking or refined looking. Pygmy goats are more stocky.

Nigerians make alot of milk for their size. They average 750 pounds of milk in a year. They are very friendly and docile goats (and that's why we love them at Green Meadows Petting Farm!!! :) ).

Most of our goats are Nigerians. There are a couple of Nubians (ours are large white ones with droopy ears), and a few Pygmy goats. Goats make wonderful pets!!!!! :)

The father of most of the babies this year will be Buster, who is polled. This means that approximately 50% of his "kids" will also be polled (they will not have horns). The males are not kept with the rest of the herd because we want to control when the babies are born, and the males are known for having a strong odor!

In 2010 we had our first set of quadruplets!!! Nigerians usually have twins, triplets, or quadruplets.

A male goat is called a buck or billy goat.
Females are does or nannies.
Babies are called kids!!!! :)
A herd of goats will have a boss (usually the oldest female). She is the herd queen!!! (I have an idea who that is!!!) :)

Goats are actually pretty fussy eaters--they will NOT eat tin cans!!! They are a ruminant, which means they have a four-part stomach like cows and sheep do.

It's Now Time To Make Reservations for the 2011 Season!!!!!

2011-01-05T22:32:00.002-06:00

It is now time to make reservations for the 2011 season for groups of 20 or more! We are excited to be opening up on Wednesday, May 4, 2011!!! It is easy to make your reservations on line! We look forward to seeing you!

Fun Trivia Fact!!!!!

2011-01-05T22:24:00.002-06:00

The biggest pig ever was Big Bill back in the 1930's. Big Bill weighed in at 2552 pounds and was over 9 feet long! Now that's a BIG pig!!!! Lots bigger than our teenagers!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

2010-12-30T20:17:00.003-06:00

Our wish for everybody is that you have a very happy and healthy 2011 that is filled with wonderful memories!!!!! We look forward to seeing you when we open up for the 2011 season on May 4th.

Happy New Year to Everyone!!!!!!!!

We Hope Everyone Had A Wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!!

2010-11-29T18:18:00.002-06:00

Tommy Turkey and everybody else here at Green Meadows Petting Farm hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!!!! Tommy and all of the other animals had their favorite treats!!!! The animals have been enjoying the nice days, but are snuggled in for the winter. They say "Hi!" to everyone!!!!

Coturnix or Japanese Quail

2010-11-12T18:39:00.002-06:00

This fall we had some young quail in the brooder house as well as the baby ducklings. They are a kind of quail called Coturnix or Japanese quail. They are about the size of a 3 week old chick full grown!!! I found these eggs in their pen yesterday. They are beautifully speckled and fairly large compared to the size of the quail!!!

They are very friendly little birds. They mature in 6 weeks with an average weight of 5-6 ounces. They can begin laying eggs at 7 weeks of age!!! (Eggs would hatch in 17 days if put into an incubator!).

The young birds begin to "crow" at 5-6 weeks old. Their voice is sometimes described as loud, castanet-like crow producing sounds as "pick-per awick". It is more trill sounding to me than a crow!

The adult females are bigger than the males. They can lay between 200-300 eggs in a year.

Patty Pig And Her Friends--Cozy For The Winter!!!

2010-11-05T17:59:00.002-05:00

Patty Pig and her potbelly friends--Little Lulu, Betty Boop, Stars, and Stripes--are snuggled into the barn for the winter. Every night, they push all of their straw and extra hay into a deep pile to make a comfy bed for themselves. They have to get fed separately, though. The potbelly pigs get a special potbelly pig food. Patty also has a special feed that she gets, though, her favorite is sheep feed!!!!! :) We have been giving them some extra pumpkins every day--they make great balls to play with, and they also think they taste yummy!!!! Their favorite treat??? Cheerios!!!!! :) :)

Thank You Everyone For A Great 2010 Season!!!!!

2010-11-03T10:24:00.001-05:00

We will miss seeing everyone, but we will open up for the 2011 season on Wednesday, May 4th!!!!! We look forward to seeing everyone in the spring!!!!!

This Weekend--Take Home As Many Pumpkins As You Can Carry!!!

2010-10-27T22:24:00.002-05:00

This weekend, October 30 and 31, take home as many pumpkins as you can carry through the gate!!!!! No wheelbarrows, though!!! :) How many pumpkins can you carry!!! We hope to see you before we close for the fall season. Our fall season ends this Sunday, October 31st, 2010. Come and play with our animal friends!!!

There Is Still Time To Come To The Farm This Fall!!!

2010-10-26T20:23:00.002-05:00

We are open until Sunday, October 31st for the 2010 season. There is still time to come to the farm and relax with the animals, enjoy all of the farm activities, and pick a pumpkin!!!

The Wandering Smurf Visits The Farm!!!!

2010-10-22T00:25:00.003-05:00

The Wandering Smurf from Star of Bethlehem School in New Berlin, WI had adventures at Green Meadows Petting Farm today!!! Adventures were documented with pictures by Farmer Donna--including helping to clean the pony ring!!!

Here he is ready for a ride on Lad!!!! :)

Sounds Like A Great Weekend To Come To The Farm!!!

2010-10-13T22:51:00.002-05:00

The weather sounds like it is going to be beautiful, and we have David Rotter coming back to the farm on Saturday. David is a pumpkin carving artist. He will be carving pumpkins, demonstrating, and answering your questions!!!

We also have children's book author, Kerry Hertel, doing a book signing on her new book. She wrote Tidy Tess. Tidy Tess is about a pig who does not want to get dirty!!! She will be there Saturday morning.

Come to Green Meadows for a wonderful day on the farm and pick your FREE pumpkin with admission!!! We hope to see you!

David Rotter, A Pumpkin Carving Artist, Will Be Carving Pumpkins At The Farm

2010-10-08T00:12:00.002-05:00

on Saturday afternoon--October 9th!!! We are so excited to have him!!! The weather sounds beautiful, so come to Green Meadows and watch David carve!!!

Lots Of New Activities This Fall At The Farm!!!!!

2010-10-03T21:46:00.004-05:00

Families have been telling us that they are staying at the farm so much longer than usual, because we have so many new things to do. The Magical Music Machine has been attracting lots of people, and there is sometimes quite a group around it. The good thing is that lots of people can "drum on the junk" at the same time!!!

Kids can climb through the tunnel or on top of the tunnel!!! One boy told me this was his favorite thing on the farm!!! I have to admit that I have not been through it yet!!! It is pretty long, and I think, pretty dark!!!

We have some entertainment lined up for the farm. Macyn Taylor performed today, and we hope she will also be at the farm on October 9, 10, 23, and 24. She is an incredible young talent!!!

We also have a book signing on Saturday, October 16th. Kerry Hertel, a local author, will be at the farm. She wrote the children's story--Tidy Tess. A story about a little pig that kind of looks like our Patty Pig!!!

This weekend we also put out our puppet theater!!! I loved walking past to see and hear all of the puppet shows going on. It wasn't just the kids having fun--so were the adults!!! Come to the farm this fall--this is just a small "sampling" of what is going on.

Of course, we always have all of the baby animals to cuddle, a cow to milk, a pony ride and tractor ride, and the straw mow to jump in!!!! We have Sunshine the new baby miniature horse, a baby llama--Surprise--, and new baby bunnies!!! Lots of excitement at Green Meadows Petting Farm where you get a FREE pumpkin in the fall!!!

Come And Listen To Macyn Taylor!!!

2010-10-02T22:20:00.001-05:00

Macyn Talor will be at the farm tomorrow sharing her talents with us. We are honored!!! She will be at the farm from 11am-3pm!!!!!http://www.youtube.com/busker12

Come And Play On The Magical Music Machine!!!!

2010-09-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

It is fun to hear everybody drumming away on the Magical Music Machine!!!! The groups gather around it and get the rhythms going!!!! :)

The boys were banging away and didn't want to leave!!!

We put on whatever we could find to give different sounds and add color!!!!

I think that the adults have as much fun as the kids!!!! Sometimes it is the adults that don't want to leave!!! :)

Good Morning Sunshine!!!!!!

2010-09-30T08:01:00.002-05:00

And her personality is even cuter than she is!!!!!! :) She is an absolute joy!!!

Silver, The Holland Lop Rabbit, Had Babies!!!

2010-09-28T00:07:00.002-05:00

This morning we found that Silver, the Holland Lop rabbit, had had her babies during the night!!! She hadn't pulled out the hair from under her chin ahead of time, so we were surprised!!! She usually pulls out the hair to make a blanket for the babies a day or two ahead of time.

There are seven babies. They are born with no hair--you can see their little pink bodies showing through the hair a little! Their eyes are also closed, but open up when they are about ten days old. As time goes on, and they grow their own hair, we will see more of them. Until then, they are keeping covered up to keep warm!!!

Teachers--Call Us And Check on Available Dates For Fall 2010!!!

2010-09-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

We Are Open For The Fall Season!!!!! :)

2010-09-24T20:10:00.002-05:00

Come and meet Candy and her baby Sunshine!!!! We are open every day until October 31st!!!! Arrival times during the week are between 10am and 1pm. Then stay at the farm as long as you would like!!! Arrival times on Saturday and Sunday are between 10am and 3pm. You can then stay as long as you would like. Everyone gets a FREE pumpkin with admission!!!! We hope to see you!!!

Days Filled For Group Reservations:

2010-09-21T21:46:00.002-05:00

October 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 21st, and 22nd. Still lots of room on all other days!!!

Candy, The Miniature Horse, Had A Baby!!!!

2010-09-21T21:36:00.003-05:00

This morning went I went out to do chores, I found that Candy, our miniature horse, had had her baby!!! Baby was standing up already, but was still wet and very wobbly!!!

Travis and Stephaney named her Sunshine!!! She is very sweet, and she loves to be rubbed!!! We are so excited to have a new baby in time for our fall season!!! Come and see Candy and Sunshine!!

Get Your FREE Pumpkin At Green Meadows Petting Farm!!!!

2010-09-19T21:32:00.004-05:00

Everyone who comes to the farm in the fall gets a FREE pumpkin!!!! The fall season starts September 25th and goes till October 31st. Go right out into the pumpkin patch and pick your perfect pumpkin!!! Admission also includes visiting all of the animals, pony ride for the kids, tractor rides, and lots of activities!!! Come and play with the kittens and cuddle a bunny!!! Jump in the straw!!!

We Open Up For The Fall Next Saturday-Sept. 25th!!!

2010-09-19T21:23:00.002-05:00

We are busy decorating and getting ready for our fall season!!! We open up Saturday, September 25th, and we are open every day until October 31st!!! Come and build family memories at Green Meadows Petting Farm where everyone gets a FREE pumpkin in the fall.

Days Filled For Group Reservations:

2010-09-16T21:15:00.002-05:00

are October 6th, 8th, 15th, 21st, and 22nd. All other days are still available!!!

We Would Love To Have You Join Us On Facebook!!!!!!

2010-09-11T00:27:00.002-05:00

Join us at Green Meadows Petting Farm WI!!!!!!

Rebecca The Hen

2010-09-08T21:25:00.003-05:00

Rebecca is a little bantam Cochin hen that loves to sit on eggs! Cochins make wonderful moms!!!Rebecca is always hoping that eggs will be left alone so that she has a chance to sit on them for 21 days!!! If you have come to the farm in the last 21 days, you have probably seen Rebecca sitting in the corner of the chicken coop.

Last night when Farmer Charlie was doing the chores, he heard peeping!!! Sure enough, Rebecca is a mom--one little lucky chick has all of her attention!

Days Filled For Group Reservations:

2010-09-08T09:46:00.001-05:00

October 6th, October 8th, October 15th, and October 22nd. All other days are still available!

Our Summer Season Has Come To A Close--We Reopen For The Fall On September 25, 2010!!!!!

2010-09-07T09:41:00.004-05:00

Everyone who comes to the farm will get a FREE pumpkin!!!! We will be open every day starting September 25th-October 31st!!!! We hope to see you!!!

We Are Still Open Sunday And Monday Of Labor Day Weekend!!!

2010-09-04T22:14:00.002-05:00

You can arrive any time between 10am and 2pm. These are just arrival times--feel free to stay at the farm as long as you would like!!!! Come and see one of our new additions!!! The Magical Music Machine!!!!

We Are Open Labor Day Weekend!!!

2010-09-02T21:31:00.003-05:00

Arrival time on Friday is between 10am and 1pm. Arrival time on Saturday through Monday--Labor Day--is 10am -2pm. These are just arrival times! You can stay at the farm as long as you would like!!!

Come and see our new baby llama--"Surprise"!!! We hope to see you!!! :)

Tina And Tommy Turkey!!!

2010-09-01T22:19:00.003-05:00

Tina Turkey is a 4-H project that became a very special pet!!! She is the friendliest turkey that I have ever had the opportunity to meet!!!

Tommy Turkey is also a very special guy as well as a very handsome guy!!! :) If you gobble at him, he will gobble at you!!! :) Tina and Tommy are bronze turkeys. Tommy is a big boy and probably weighs about 40 pounds!!!

Turkeys have a "snood", or a piece of fleshy skin above the beak. On females, it is always just a small piece of skin.

On males, the snood can contract to a short stub or stretch out long to hang way below the beak. Notice Tommy's snood!!!!

Did you know that Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be our National Symbol instead of the Bald Eagle???? Ben Franklin thought the Bald Eagle was a bird of bad moral character, while the turkey was a much more respectable bird!!!

Days Filled For Group Reservations:

2010-08-31T10:28:00.002-05:00

October 6th, October 15th, and October 22nd. All other days are still available!!!!

Days Filled For Group Reservations

2010-08-30T11:56:00.001-05:00

are Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 and Friday, October 22, 2010!!! Every other day is still available!

The Only Day Filled So Far For Group Reservations Is Wednesday, October 6th!

2010-08-29T22:23:00.001-05:00

Reserve today to get the day that you would like!!!

Baby Ducklings!!!

2010-08-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

Our baby ducklings at the farm are Muscovy ducklings. These are 4 days old!!! The Muscovy is an "odd" duck!!! They are sometimes called turkey ducks. They are my favorite ducklings to have at the farm, because they are very peaceful and tame easily!!! Notice that they have pink bills instead of orange bills!!!

The Muscovy originally came from South and Central America--they can nest in trees using their sharp toenails. The ducks make very good mothers and can brood 3 clutches in a year!!! Many are kept on farms for pest control. They are known to help control flies, ticks, and other bugs. They can even keep the mice away!!!

Mature birds have lumpy red skin around the face called caruncles. The males have more than the females. They come in 4 different colors--black, blue (grayish), chocolate, or white (like ours)!!!

Surprise!!!!!

2010-08-29T21:21:00.003-05:00

This little gal was our surprise this morning when we were doing chores!!! We did not know she was even on her way! Millie usually has her babies in May or June, so when time passed, we just figured that there was not going to be a baby this year!!!

Little "Surprise" and Millie are doing great!!! "Surprise" is getting a little drink!

Male and female llamas don't have special names, but the babies are called crias!!! Llamas are very social animals, and they do not like to be alone. They do best with other llamas or another "companion" animal.

Llamas come from South America. They are ruminants (they have 4 parts to their stomach and chew their cud). Llamas are known to sometimes spit. Ours do not!!! When llamas do spit, it is usually only at each other.

Come and meet our new little girl!!! Come and meet "Surprise"!!!!

Wednesday, October 6th Is Now Filled!!

2010-08-29T08:33:00.002-05:00

We are not taking any more reservations for Wednesday, October 6th, 2010! It is unusual that a Wednesday filled up first!!!! It is easy and fast to reserve right on line!!!

It's Time To Make Your Reservations For Fall!!!!

2010-08-26T23:09:00.003-05:00

All days are still available! Our fall season starts on Saturday, September 25th and goes through Sunday, October 31st!!! Everyone who comes to the farm gets a FREE pumpkin!!! Harry and Cowboy look forward to seeing you!!! :)

Meet Candy!!!!

2010-08-24T23:13:00.003-05:00

Meet Candy, the Miniature Horse!!!! Miniatures generally are under 34 inches at the withers (the shoulders). 34-38 inches are the larger size minis. They are measured at the last hairs of the mane. Because Miniatures are so small, they make excellent pets for people of all ages--the very young to the elderly. Most are too small to ride on (or 40 pounds or less), but can pull an adult in a cart.

Minis are very smart, have excellent memories (they remember each other years later!!!), and want to please their "people". Some Miniature Horses have been trained to be seeing-eye horses--they have been trained to lead blind people just like a guide dog!!!! They will ride in cars, go into buildings, walk on busy city sidewalks, and they can be housebroken!!!

Farmer Charlie and I owned Candy when she was born. We still own her dad, Buddy, and her mother Monet belongs to another family member. Monet and some of her babies have been at the farm in the past. Candy has been living at Mulberry Lane Farm for the last couple of years. We are anxious for everyone to meet her this fall at Green Meadows Farm. You will love her--she is a sweetheart!

Freddy--The Rooster Who Thinks He Is A Duck!!!!

2010-08-22T22:14:00.003-05:00

Last winter someone gave us a rooster--and we didn't know what to do with him! He is a standard chicken (a regular size chicken) and all of our other chickens at the farm are bantams (the smaller size). We were afraid that he would hurt the little guys--so, we put him in with the ducks and geese!!! He seemed to get along well with the waterfowl, and his favorite "girl" is a Muscovy duck hen named Frieda!!! He can fly out of the pen if he wants, but he enjoys living on the "island"!!!!

I had never seen him actually go in the water before, but I had to snap his picture today when he went into the water to get grass that the lawnmower was shooting in!!! Freddy seems to be a little confused, but at least he seems happy!!!

You Can Still Visit The Farm Before School Starts!!!!

2010-08-20T20:54:00.002-05:00

There is still time to visit the farm before school starts!!! The quadruplets are growing and so much fun to watch!!! Kittens are waiting to be played with, and the baby bunnies are finally "big" enough to hold!!! The kids get a pony ride, and the tractor ride is fun!!! Have you ever milked a cow??? Snowball is so easy to milk--just reach on in and give a squeeze!!! We hope to see you!!!! :)

Melvin The Ferret!!!!!

2010-08-20T20:28:00.004-05:00

Melvin is a clown!!!! He has also been described as very "bendy" and flexible!!!! He is just so fun!

Ferrets are domestic animals that are cousins to weasels, skunks, and otters. They are friendly and make wonderful pets!!!

They are so much fun--playful with each other and with you. They do not lose their playfulness as they get older.

They can be litter box trained and trained to do tricks. They sleep a lot--Melvin loves to sleep in his hammock!

A male ferret is called a "hob". A female ferret is a "jill". A baby ferret is a kit. A group of ferrets is a "business of ferrets"!!!! Come visit "Mr Personality"!!!!

It's A Great Week To Come To The Farm!!!!

2010-08-16T21:22:00.002-05:00

It is a great week to come to the farm! The weather sounds great, and there is still time to visit Green Meadows Petting Farm before school starts!!!! We have new baby chicks and ducklings, and the quadruplet baby goats are just as cute as can be!!!! Our baby bunnies are finally old enough to be pet!!! We hope to see you!!! :)

The Pumpkins Are Turning Orange!!!!

2010-08-14T21:00:00.003-05:00

There are plenty of pumpkins that are still green, but there are pumpkins that are turning orange already!!! We have 10 acres of pumpkins that will be ready to pick this fall!!! Everyone gets to go out into the patch and pick their "perfect" pumpkin!!!

Starting Saturday, September 25th, everyone that comes to the farm gets a FREE pumpkin!!!

We Have Named The Quadruplets!!!!

2010-08-11T19:55:00.004-05:00

We have named our quadruplet goat kids!!! We are using names from the Flintstones!!! We have Fred, Barny, Wilma and Betty!!! Mom and babies are doing great!!! They are so much fun to watch jump and bounce around!!!

Here we have the boys--Fred is the speckled one, and Barny is the tannish-white one!!! Such sweet little boys!

This little gal is Wilma. Red hair and all!!! Don't you just want to cuddle her?

And this is tiny Betty--so little and petite!!! It amazes me that she is the "bounciest" of them all!

I enjoy just watching them play, and I think that you will too! Come and see them!

Lilly Had Quadruplets!!!!

2010-08-08T12:01:00.003-05:00

Lilly had quadruplets yesterday morning!!!! She was VERY big, so we were figuring that she was going to at least have triplets like she did last year. We were starting to wonder if it could even be four!!!! Yes, it was!!!! :) They all seem to be doing fine this morning and are bouncing around!!! They are so cute and so tiny!

Here are the two little girls!!! The darker one is especially tiny!

And here are the two boys! Each one is so different from the others. Nigerian goats are so fun--they have so much color variety!!! Dad is Howie--he is black and white spotted. Lilly is being a very good mom--I am so proud of her!

Hay Ride Time At Green Meadows Petting Farm!!!!

2010-08-03T20:31:00.002-05:00

A special part of your day when you come to Green Meadows Farm is the tractor-drawn hay ride that takes you to the "back 40" of the farm. It is very beautiful and overlooks the ponds and pasture. Right now, we have some of our extra ponies and horses back there so that they can eat the grass--they love that!!! The ride also takes you past the alfalfa field and the pumpkin patch!!! It is always fun to look for the big pumpkins!!! The farmers always try to make the ride exciting, and Farmer Charlie never leaves until he gets a loud "Yee-Haw!!!" from everyone!!!

There is the pond!!! :)

We love to see the smiles!!! :)