Shady Oak Farm

Shady Oak Farm Shady Oak Farm is a heritage farm located in North Iowa. Our goal is to be a part of our community b

The warmer weather may have created a muddy mess on the farm but at least it made for a comfortable day doing hoof trims...
12/29/2024

The warmer weather may have created a muddy mess on the farm but at least it made for a comfortable day doing hoof trims for a few of the goats.

Mora is one of the sweetest does. She takes after her dam, Zephyr, who I just rehomed earlier in the month. Her sire, Joshua Tree aka Bono, is also a sweet boy. So I'm not really surprised that she turned out this way. She is a FF due on April 1st. She still has a ways to go but is starting to show a bit of a baby bump. ๐Ÿฅบ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿ

It seems early to be thinking of this but it's never too early to think of fair time! The Winnebago County Fair - Thomps...
12/29/2024

It seems early to be thinking of this but it's never too early to think of fair time!
The Winnebago County Fair - Thompson, IA is July 16 - July 20, 2025. We'll be there again with goats and 4Hers who lease my goats for fair. We'll have a few Clover Kids with goat kids in the Bottle/Bucket calf/kid/lamb show and 4Hers in the Dairy Goat Show again.

This will be the 3rd year for the dairy goat show at Winnebago County. I'd love to see more bring their goats! If you're a 4Her in Winnebago County and have dairy goats, reach out to me if you're interested in showing!

8 weeks until our first kids are due! Throwback to miss Stella (and her brother Buster) when they were just little peanu...
12/29/2024

8 weeks until our first kids are due! Throwback to miss Stella (and her brother Buster) when they were just little peanuts. Stella is the first doe due and will be a FF.

We have 7 does due from the end of February through May 2nd and will host kid cuddling sessions again in the spring! ๐Ÿ ๐ŸŒผ ๐ŸŒฑ

I've been obsessed with watercolor paintings for a few years. There's been a part of me that's wanted to try it for myse...
12/28/2024

I've been obsessed with watercolor paintings for a few years. There's been a part of me that's wanted to try it for myself but never did because I have never painted and lack the skill. I'm not sure why it took me so long to realize that was a silly way of thinking. ๐Ÿชฟ
I bought some cheap supplies from Target when I was doing some last minute Christmas shopping last weekend. I only have two brushes and paper that's not really meant for water colors. I have literally no idea what I'm doing but have found it's a great way to relax. And I figure with practice I will hopefully improve my skills. ๐ŸŽจ
Here is my current project I am working on. ๐Ÿ‘‡

We hope that everyone's Christmas has been healthy, safe and full of love. Merry Christmas! ๐ŸŽ„ ๐Ÿ ๐ŸŽ
12/26/2024

We hope that everyone's Christmas has been healthy, safe and full of love.
Merry Christmas! ๐ŸŽ„ ๐Ÿ ๐ŸŽ

The best part of December 2024? The goats finally accepting Koza into the herd!  The herd queens have decided he's prove...
12/24/2024

The best part of December 2024? The goats finally accepting Koza into the herd! The herd queens have decided he's proven himself after a year of introductions and baby steps to get to this point. He's not with them 24x7 but spends hours at a time in the pen with no issues. ๐Ÿ™Œ

Koza got to visit the POET tree tonight. Definitely a lot of smells and distractions but I eventually got him to sit sti...
12/22/2024

Koza got to visit the POET tree tonight. Definitely a lot of smells and distractions but I eventually got him to sit still enough for one good photo. โ„๏ธโ„๏ธ

Today we welcome the winter solsticeโ€”a favorite day of mine to pause, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of this season....
12/21/2024

Today we welcome the winter solsticeโ€”a favorite day of mine to pause, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of this season. For me, this day holds a special place as it marks the return of the light and renewal. While the days may be short, they hold a quiet magic that's unlike any other time of year.

Our sweet Oreo seemed to embody this feeling perfectly in the snow today. Hereโ€™s to finding the simple joys and the quiet moments that make this season special. Happy winter solstice! ๐ŸŒจ๏ธ โ„๏ธ

The morning sky was stunning.  ๐Ÿ˜
12/17/2024

The morning sky was stunning. ๐Ÿ˜

The Salmon Favorelles make the best Santas ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐ŸŽ„
12/15/2024

The Salmon Favorelles make the best Santas ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐ŸŽ„

Did you hear? We're finally done with breeding season. We decided to make a couple changes this year. We are giving Ruth...
12/09/2024

Did you hear? We're finally done with breeding season. We decided to make a couple changes this year. We are giving Ruth a break this year so instead exposed Brooks, one of our Lionheart daughters. Below will be our kidding schedule for spring. If you're interested in learning more about these pairings, please reach out!

Stella FF x Bono 2/23/25
Addie 3F x Bono 3/15/25
Luna 2F x Lionheart 3/22/25
Sawyer 2F x Lionheart 3/22/25
Idgie 4F x Zipper 3/22-3/27/25
Mora FF x Lionheart 4/1/25
Brooks FF x Bono 5/2/25

Hi miss Stella ๐Ÿ‘‹ She's our first due in about 2.5 months and I'm already noticing a baby bump. ๐Ÿฅฐ
12/07/2024

Hi miss Stella ๐Ÿ‘‹
She's our first due in about 2.5 months and I'm already noticing a baby bump. ๐Ÿฅฐ

Miss Biscuit in her new home. I love all my Idgie babies and am happy Biscuit stayed local so I can watch her flourish a...
12/06/2024

Miss Biscuit in her new home. I love all my Idgie babies and am happy Biscuit stayed local so I can watch her flourish at Summer's farm!

This is Biscuits bench. That is all.

Happy Tuesday ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿ˜‰

Winter is settling in at Shady Oak Farm, and Koza is in his element! While we were hanging lights and decorating the por...
12/02/2024

Winter is settling in at Shady Oak Farm, and Koza is in his element! While we were hanging lights and decorating the porch for the season, Koza lounged in the yard, surrounded by his trusty flock of chickens. Heโ€™s been loving the crisp air and frosty morningsโ€”this kind of weather was made for him. โ„๏ธ๐Ÿพ

Koza is a Karakachan-Maremma mix, two incredible livestock guardian breeds known for their thick, weather-resistant coats. Bred to guard herds in harsh mountain climates, these dogs are built to thrive in cold weather. Rain, snow, or icy windsโ€”Koza handles it all like a champ, staying cozy while keeping a watchful eye on the farm.

But donโ€™t let his rugged exterior fool youโ€”this big guy still has a soft side! No matter how much he loves the great outdoors, Koza always comes inside for his daily snuggles on the couch. He truly is the best of both worlds: tough, loyal, and oh-so-loving. โค๏ธ

I missed my Thanksgiving post yesterday - I hope everyone had a wonderful day with great food and better company. We had...
11/29/2024

I missed my Thanksgiving post yesterday - I hope everyone had a wonderful day with great food and better company.

We had the tiniest snowflakes coming down yesterday - you could barely see them in the air. Although I am happy the weather has been good for those in the area traveling during the holidays, I am hoping for some snow soon; it's cold enough that is for sure!

The itch to take snowy winter photos is real - so for now I have to improvise and add the snow to my pictures. Here is what Koza looks like in my fake snow ๐Ÿคฃ - I bet he looks better in the real deal. This was part of my Black Friday purchases - some new overlays and actions to edit with. We also got a new TV, a Fi Dog Collar for Koza, a new living room rug from Ruggable (here's hoping for a washable rug), and I am still searching for a new cell phone (because mine is near extinction). I don't normally spend much for Black Friday but it seems this year a lot of bigger purchases were needed and it was the right time to save some $$

If you landed any sweet deals you think are worth sharing, drop them in the comments!

I stumbled upon this site earlier this year when searching some ISU resources.  I'm hoping they continue to build it out...
11/27/2024

I stumbled upon this site earlier this year when searching some ISU resources. I'm hoping they continue to build it out more!

NEW RESOURCE FOR DAIRY GOATS

A collaborative website between Iowa State University (ISU) and the University of California-Davis (UC Davis) has been created to educate dairy goat producers and veterinarians about the science behind producing high-quality goat milk.

https://www.dairygoatextension.org/

Long weeks melt away as soon as I step into the barn.  There's nothing like the scent of fresh pine shavings and hay wit...
11/27/2024

Long weeks melt away as soon as I step into the barn. There's nothing like the scent of fresh pine shavings and hay with the subtle sounds of goats munching to bring some peace back into my world. ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿ

I also get a kick out of seeing those little goat booties all lined up to the hay feeder. ๐Ÿ˜† ๐Ÿคฃ

The girls got a new scratching post. I made it tall enough for the LaManchas but now I'm thinking I need to add a 2nd on...
11/24/2024

The girls got a new scratching post. I made it tall enough for the LaManchas but now I'm thinking I need to add a 2nd one that is more Nigerian Dwarf friendly.

The bucks got an extension to their indoor pen. Unfortunately I just don't have a great space for them to be outside in the winter right now. So they have to be in the barn and rotate pasture time with the girls.

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Mount Valley Township
Forest City, IA
50436

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Multitasking on the Farm

One of our favorite things about working towards being a horse powered farm, is that we get to work and play at the same time. Our first does are due to kid the end of March and we need to get prepared. Today was a nice warm, sunny day here which means it was a good day to clean out the kidding pen. We also got a nice snow yesterday, which means it is a good day to get the sled out. Well, why not use the sled to haul some bedding out? Getting our work done with play!

We are thankful we get to enjoy our farm while working on it. Thereโ€™s always work to be done, but it doesnโ€™t really feel like a job to us when we love doing it. It leaves us feeling satisfied mentally and physically. The bonding time spent between us as husband and wife as well as with our animals is something we just canโ€™t recreate elsewhere. Donโ€™t forget - if you ever want to come out for a visit, let us know! These animals like to bond with other people too! :)