Down to the chicken wire

LAKE COUNTY - Horse? Rabbit? Sheep? When you're a lover of all animals, how do you pick just one to raise for 4-H?

Luckily, 11-year-old Madisen Wheeler didn't have to make that tough call, and instead, signed up to care for all three. Between feeding, cleaning stalls and exercising her animals, Wheeler has taken on quite the load, but she loves it, and is eager to learn as much as she can from the experience.

"It's almost like taking care of one of your own family members," she said. "It's fun to see them learn more as you learn more. It's like you're two team members learning together."

Her pony, Spirit, is 22-years-old, which is old for a pony, but the family just bought him last October, so the relationship is new. Wheeler said she has learned a lot from her new friend who requires extra-special attention due to his age.

"He's old, so he needs a lot of nutrients," she said as she serves his breakfast, which is a cross hay mix of grass and alfalfa, plus a special senior mix of grains with protein, molasses and a hard mineral to help manage weight, keep up energy and help his joints.

"For 22, he has so much energy," she said. "He used to be a complete sassy pony, but he's calmed down a lot since I've been going to the horse trainings and working with him more."

When her last pony was killed from a fall off of a rugged cliff, Wheeler said she lost a lot of confidence. Working with Spirit through the 4-H project, though, has helped her to regain it.

Her mom, Tracy, the leader of Dayton area's 4-H club, said one of the nicest things about 4-H is that students can be independent, taking on as much or as little as they'd like, and working at their own pace until a project is done.

Someday, Wheeler hopes to be a veterinarian, zookeeper "or anything to do with animals." So, caring for a horse, two sheep and a rabbit is good practice for the all-around education she will need in her future.

According to Montana State University Extension officer Jack Stivers, it's not unusual for the most committed students to take on more than one market project. He actually recommends it.

"The more education they get, the more understanding they have and the more diversity they can apply later in life," he said. "It's not easy. It requires a lot of effort and a lot of input, but it gives them a lot of life skills."

As August approaches, pressure to be prepared for the fair mounts.

One of Wheeler's favorite mottos is, "you learn from your mistakes," but she still doesn't want to make too many of those, and gets nervous before the fair.

"I do because I want to be perfect," she said. "It's a lot to think about. What mood are [the animals] in today? Are the judges going to like him? Did I do enough work?"

Work is definitely in Ronan's Ronny and David Cullises vocabulary. Taking 4-H involvement to a whole new level, they did both add the dog project to this year's list, but their focus is not in the all-around approach. These two veteran sheep raisers are sticking with the animal they know best, and doing their best to learn more about it every day.

Last year, the boys each raised an ewe, which they bought back from the market committee at the Lake County Fair. This year, they've acquired a ram with hopes to breed a herd and give other Lake County 4-H-ers the chance for their ewes to breed with him too.

"It was hard for us when we first started," Ronny said. "We had no idea what was going on, really. We had the animal background, but not the expertise."

After seeking out the aid of local experts and former 4-H-ers, the Cullises are leading the charge in promoting the animal county-wide. They worked hard to bring a slick-shearing lesson to the Ronan Community Center last year. Instead of dropping off their lambs at the shearer's, students were able to learn first-hand how the task is completed.

Besides their plans to raise a herd of club lambs to sell to 4-H kids, the Cullises want to buy various cuts of meat at the Lake County Fair and experiment with cooking techniques and recipes in order to peak local interest in eating lamb. Shredded and slow cooked barbecue is just one of the many delectable ideas they hope to try.

"The fatty part of the meat is what gives lamb that gamey flavor, but you don't have to cook it that way," the boys' mom, Theresa Cullis, said.

While most 4-H students take the traditional approach to raising, and selling, their market animals at the fair, the Cullises have clearly taken the road less traveled.

"They're learning things that they don't get in a formal education system," Stivers said. "They can take it a lot of directions."