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Copyright 2007-2009 Millermeade Farm's Critter Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Hello! Let me take just a moment of your time to introduce myself and Millermeade Farms.
Gail
My name is Gail Dick and I am the owner of Millermeade Farm's "Critter Connection". My first introduction to the animal business began in 1984, when I was old enough to join 4-H. My father and I started raising New Zealand White rabbits together for meat and for show. We maintained the rabbit business together through my college years. My years in 4-H and the time spent raising rabbits with my father were priceless learning experiences that gave me an excellent foundation for raising animals and running a business. I had the privilege of working with my dad raising hedgehogs at "Hedgehog Headquarters" from 2002-2006.
Millermeade Farms
The original Millermeade Farms was a 200 acre farm named by my grandfather in the early 1930's. Millermeade means "Miller's Meadows". In 1995 my grandfather gave me two acres on the original Millermeade Farms to build a new building for an established rabbitry that I purchased my senior year of college. I was the 5th generation to own the property and so I kept the name Millermeade Farms for my new business.
Critter Connection
In 1997, I married and moved to northwest Ohio. My husband, Jeff, gave me a trio of hedgehogs to compensate for leaving my new rabbit building behind and thus Millermeade Farm's "Critter Connection" was born. I fell instantly in love with the hedgehogs and our interest in exotic animals was born. We started attending Exotic Animal and Reptile shows, swaps, and auctions across the country. We collected bloodlines for various critters from coast to coast and from Canada. The care sheets found on this website are based on our knowledge of each animal through research and experience.
We have seen many changes in the exotic pet industry and our business has changed many times since we began in 1997. At one point we had 23 different species of animals in our breeding program but we are currently focusing on sugar gliders, hedgehogs, chinchillas, and Richardson's Ground Squirrels in the spring.
New exotic animal laws and USDA regulations have made a huge impact on the exotic pet industry. Retail pet stores and breeders must be USDA licensed which makes sales of small animals such as degus, spiny mice, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, duprasis etc. more and more limited. Many of the exotic small animals are extremely difficult to breed making the cost of raising them higher than the market can support. Many exotic small animals on the market in the past were either direct imports or descendants of imported animals. Importation of African rodents into the U.S. was stopped in 2001 as a result of the Monkeypox ban.
We still try to attend the Midwest Reptile Show in Indianapolis, Indiana on a regular basis but we will not be able to attend every month as we have in previous years. We would love to catch up with you at a show but it is a good idea to contact us first before making a special trip to one of the shows.
Our Family
Critter Connection is a home-based business so I am a full-time mommy to Weston, Logan, and Addison as well as a full-time business person. My children are very important to me and I feel it is a privilege that I can work from home. I don't get as much quiet computer and phone time as before I had kids and when you call you may hear the noise of our family life in the background. Please be patient if I don't respond to emails or phone calls right away. If you don't hear back from me within 24 hours please try again because I may not have received your message. My husband, Jeff, also plays a role in "Critter Connection" and I am very thankful for his support. Millermeade Farms wouldn't be able to function without him!
Customer Service
We believe purchasing an animal is a big decision and that education about your new pet before purchase is equally as important as the information you will need after your purchase. It is our goal to give you the information and instruction necessary to help you have a positive experience with your exotic pet.
I hope that you take some time to look around our website and check out the care sheets for our animals. I have tried to answer many of our most frequently asked questions and more in the care sheets. You may find some inconsistencies between our information and other information on the internet and in books. The guidelines and suggestions we provide are based on our knowledge and experience. We certainly have a lot yet to learn but some of the care advice we were given or have read is not what we have found to be most beneficial to the animal or its care provider.
We have also done a considerable amount of research on the best cages, equipment, food, and supplies available in the pet industry. There are very few products that we consider "perfect" but we have assembled a variety of products that we feel are best suited for exotic pets' needs. We understand that everyone wants to get the most for their dollar and we do our very best to keep our prices low. Our cage packages are designed to offer you great products at a discounted price. We hope you choose to shop with us. Your business is greatly appreciated.
When you come here to Montpelier we will spend a considerable amount of time helping you get acquainted with your new pet. Our average customer spends about an hour with us learning handling tips and techniques as well as diet and care information. We are also more than willing to answer questions after the sale.
Please feel free to email anytime me or call between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST and I will do my best to help you.
We hope that you choose to do business with Millermeade Farms!