# Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres



## samssimonsays

It is kind of a goofy name for a farm/Rabbitry BUT the meaning behind it is a good one!

It started off with me losing my last mini lop rabbit after selling out before college. I was them surprised with a French Lop doe, one I had been looking for for a very long time I should add. I named her Mailey. She was a pet and was potty trained, went to work with me to the pet food store I worked at and traveled back and forth from school and home when I would go home for a visit. Then, a friend found Milo. He needed me to pick him up for him as I was MUCH closer to him. I got him and was shocked at how mean he was. He had been abused, carried by only his ears and taught that people meant pain. My friend did not want him when he saw how bad he was. So it became Milo & Mailey instead of Mailey as my house pets. It took me TWO weeks of carrying him around in a baby sling modified for dogs while I was at work for him to finally start to trust people. After that day he was the most laid back, loving rabbit I had ever had. Because of this, my grandma urged me to write a book about his story and the bond we shared, not only did she urge me to do it but she even had a name, Milo & Me. So I did! One day after months of urging and constant reminders from Gma I sat down and wrote it. Milo & Me came to life in the form of a children's book also illustrated by me. 



When I decided to start raising French Lops I decided to brand the rabbits with the book title. Milo & Me Rabbitry had a special ring to it and locally in our small town people just associated the two together. Well since deciding for certain to take the leap into getting goats for milking and making items with their milk I decided to make a name that is a little less focused on the rabbits but with them being my main focus, adding Hoppy Tail Acres seemed to fit. I already make items out of bought goats milk and call it Hoppy Goat Soaps so Why not incorporate the two together? And so it was born, *Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres*! 

So here is a little bit about us. I will add more as I get photos taken of the set up we have and area we plan to build for the goats.  



 
I am 24 years old, married to the love of my life and living our little life in the country and lovin' every second of it! (Except for that one wild turkey attack incident) 
I am an avid animal lover, raiser, breeder, and rescuer of all kinds and believe that they deserve every chance possible. I volunteer with a local Wildlife rehab center where I had the amazing pleasure to help raise orphaned wildlife and get them back to the wild, Red Squirrel, Beaver and Raccoon's are pictured but I also aided with an otter, chipmunks and many grey squirrels as well as other reds, deer, cotton tails and birds). 
I take in rescue rabbits as there are no small animal rescues in my area, I rehab them and I find them loving homes. I also advocate against animals as gifts (I do know some instances are ok but most end tragically) and run a major campaign against it in my town for rabbits and Easter... Since starting to educate the public by bringing my rabbits out to the Easter festival for kids to meet and see as well as learn why they are not toys and how much work goes into them I have seen a drastic drop in the number of rescues I take in the months following Easter!   
  
 Growing up we had Chickens, Gees, Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and fish. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wanted a goat, pig, clydesdale (only kid to skip the pony or anything logical equine wise) or a lamb. Sadly this never happened so NOW I am getting to live part of my dream of owning a self sustaining farm on our little 5.76 acres of heaven. Don't get me wrong, it needs a LOT of work on the buildings and our home is slowly being remodeled but where we are in our lives, it is perfect! 



 

 


 At the time of our wedding last year in June, we had an 11 week old Collie pup and an 8 month old Great pyrenees pup. The Great pyr was our FIRST dog together and was our son. So naturally we chose him to be our ring bearer. How fitting for the dogs called polar bears right?!  Sadly, only several days after his first birthday he ran and took our collie with him. He was hit by a car with her very close behind him. We are very fortunate we did not lose both but it hit us very hard. He took a piece of my heart with him I will never get back. Long story short, Our Collie Stella went off the deep end and anxiety went through the roof, started to spiral and get more overbearing and slightly aggressive and so began the search for another pyr (husband would not get anything but). We found our boy Rumely who is half pyr, 1/4 maremma and 1/4 Saint bernard in the process. We definately got the only puppy with ALL bernard in him. Size, brain, temperament and all...!   But we love him just the same!  Anywho, onto the rest of the "farm"!

 I raise French lops, it is what I do so here they are! This was my Grand Champion Solid Blue Buck Tucker (I bought him as a starter buck to add to my little herd at the time) He has since passed but I have two daughters, a friend has the other, three grand daughters, 2 grand sons and a great grand daughter from him who all do exceptionally well at shows and I am super proud to say that until I sold any of his babies, I was the only person known in Minnesota to raise and show Blue french lops. In 2014 I was ranked #2 in the state of MN for French Lop breeders and am super honored for that title! It has certainly been a looong, hard, tear filled journey to say the least. 
 This is Nash (Nashville for full name) my bottle baby from 2014 and first Fawn born to my barn without actually having one to breed  




Now I will be adding in the goats, chickens, geese and ducks!  I am sure I will be in for a bumpy ride with them all as well but here's to hoping! 

Hopefully next year we will have a litter of pups with our beautiful Stella as well but I am not sure the world can handle another Stella  See http://milome.weebly.com/tail-tales/stella-quirk-the-fake-out to know why... 

So there it is! That is the story of my little farm Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres!


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## samssimonsays

Things I wouldn't mind having for my farm


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## samssimonsays

What my original rabbit set up was, It has changed SLIGHTLY since then, but not too much. I will load updated photos once I finish cleaning the winters mess out of it.


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## samssimonsays

I enjoy making as natural of snacks, diet and treats for the animals as well as myself and husband. These are yummy natural dog treats I made that were a big hit


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## samssimonsays

My Pyr Boy Case who passed away in October of 2014 just after he turned a year old. This is why I love the breed (sans the wanderlust )


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## samssimonsays

More of our pyr boy Case that didn't fit in the first one.


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## samssimonsays

The cat Dugan my rescue. He will be ten april 10th! golden birfday!!!


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## samssimonsays

Some of the Milo & Me rabbits

          

No, it is not just the pictures, they really are ALL weirdos...


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## samssimonsays

SOme more of the Milo & Me rabbits


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## samssimonsays

Our girl Stella the collie.


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## samssimonsays

Some more Stella... I have tons... sorry for the picture over load in this post! 
She is the only one with pricked ears..


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## samssimonsays

Rumely the Saint Pyrenees pup. 6 months, nearing 80#'s, paw is as big as my hand and still thinks he is a lap dog and requires his snuggles. Whether forced or voluntary, he will snuggle with you.


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## samssimonsays

More of my "little" man


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## Onyx

Adorable bunnies and doggies!  I used to raise show rabbits also and would like to get into it again, except, where I live I don't believe there is much of a pet market for rabbits.   Having to cull rabbits for no better reason than that no one else wants them takes all the fun out of the hobby for me, so I don't want to get into that again.  I like rabbit meat but raising rabbits for meat is just not my thing.. .and if I did, it would not be from my show stock.  I don't want to have to keep myself separated emotionally from my rabbits so I don't get too attached to them :/


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## samssimonsays

Thank you! And I totally understand @Onyx mine are show and what I can not show is sold as pets... but this year I am hoping... MAYBE to cull out any pets who have not found homes by 6 months old for our consumption, or at least my husbands LOL!  We will see.... Most people I know who raise french will cull any non show stock for consumption as that is how they keep the lines improving. I totally get why they do it but I am not sure I could   Because of course those pet quality ones are always the better personality and so darn easy to get attached to... Hmph!


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## samssimonsays

Well ... I went with a friend to look at baby goats for HER barn and low and behold...  I put a down payment down on two more  babies!  A full Alpine who will be wethered because I am not ready to have two pens and the smelly boys from what I'm told...  and a little girl half Nubian half saanan!  this Will make 4... not two. Oops... 
Meet Thelma 
 And Olaf. 

My friend bought the other two babies, Elsa, Olaf's sister and Louise thelmas sister.


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## samssimonsays

Babies are here!


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## samssimonsays

A few photos I took yesterday. we are at the stage with the baby bunnies that is the most fun to take photos of LOL. Eyes are opening and they are starting to explore everything.


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## samssimonsays

May 3rd we welcomed Thelma and Olaf home! (At first I loved the names but now I am contemplating changing them as they really just don't fit them anymore).... They dislike the dog and love ALL people LOL. Have managed to escape once and they seem to be settling in nicely. Thelma is half Nubian and half Saanan and Olaf is full alpine.


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## samssimonsays

As you can see, we are not having any fun at all with them.... Nooooo way! We did a name change! Thelma and Olaf just did not fit... :/ 

So, drum roll please......

They are now Oliver and Matilda! Ollie and Tilda for short  lllllike a glove!


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## samssimonsays

We had quite the mother's day surprise yesterday with a litter of frenchies that were over due by 6 days... Usually if the babies are more than 3 days over they will not be alive upon arrival...  BUT somehow... I went outside and found she had moved ALL over her nest material from her nest box and build a nest with hair and all in the back corner of her cage . I had a flashlight and looked and looked and looked for babies that would have fallen out of the cage or wiggled out and came up empty handed. THEN I saw them!  something moved IN the nest box. The cold, empty nest box. Yep.  she made the nest on the other side of the cage and still had them in the nest box. One was dead, she didn't clean the sac off its head, one was almost dead and one was almost almost dead. I scooped up the frozen babies and brought them into the house with me. Warmed them up as the one was squealing, they do that when they are dying along with a big, purple, swollen tongue. Usually it is extremely difficult to get them back after that so when he quit squealing I figured he was gone. Lifted up the blanket and to my surprise, he was alive and well! Due to our temps that dropped below freezing I opted to bring mom in and hold her on her back to let them nurse last night and today and will continue to do so until it warms back up again.  As of when I left for work today they were both doing well. .

The freakiest thing is that they have full control of their necks and legs as well as the fur already coming in. The same as what a 4-5 day old kit would have.... It REALLY freaks me out


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## samssimonsays




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