Debbie Cavallaro talks about the baby boom down on the farm

Q: When can we see the baby animals?

A:We try to start having our babies at the end of February and go all the way through at least May and into June. We try to split them up because they do grow fast and that way, no matter what time folks come out, they get to see babies. They're right in the barn or right at the fence, and they're very friendly. They actually like visitors.

Q: Where did the animals come from?

A:Many were born here. We get some really good donations from local people. We try to show good examples of the breed, so most are thoroughbred. Some we raise up, some we will purchase. We have a donation box in our barn, and we generally use donated funds if we need to buy an animal. And then many of our animals get sold to 4-H kids or local farmers. That's always very gratifying for us to go to the local fairs and see how our goats and sheep and pigs are competing. We're close to the Livingston County Fair, the Oakland County Fair and the Washtenaw Fair.

Q: Who takes care of the animals?

A:We have three full-time staff and we have five part-time staff -- people that do a variety of things. I feed animals every day. I clean pens every day. The herdsmen check who is ready to deliver, who didn't come up to the feeder to eat, a lame horse, whatever it may be. We have a lot of kids programs. We just got done with our big maple sugaring program. We do horse-drawn rides, and that takes a special team called teamsters and they harness horses. No day is the same, I can tell you that.

Q: How many animals do you have?

A:We're looking at all the cows, all the sheep, all the chickens, goats, the ducks, the geese: We probably have 75 to 85. It certainly increases in the spring, especially with all the twins coming. This time of year we have a lot. Usually in November, that's when we sell a lot of our extras off.

Q: How many buildings do you have at the farm that people can go into?

A:We have five buildings you can actually go in. Certainly our biggest attraction is our lower barn area. That's the maternity ward where all the babies are. And then you can go into our chicken coop and cow pen. It's set up where it is close viewing pretty much for everybody, and it is all wheelchair- and stroller-accessible -- very easy to maneuver.