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| 5 months old |
Happy Moo Year!
Welcome back. I hope you had a fun break and am excited to give you an update on Belle.
She is now six months old and growing quickly! She spends time with other calves and has transitioned to eating food for adult cows. In the winter, we make sure to keep cows comfortable and warm by adding extra hay in the barn. Sometimes, the little cows even wear coats just like you do!
Make sure to visit our download page (link at the bottom) to download your latest calf photo, as well as fun and educational dairy activities.
– Farmer Melinda Schoen-Morrison
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| 4 months old |
Dairy Farming in December
Dairy farming is a year-round job. The animals have to be fed, milked, and cared for seven days a week, no matter if it's cold or a holiday. Thankfully, dairy farming is work I love and I wouldn't have it any other way!
At four months, Belle is eating more and more like an adult cow, but still requires extra care and attention to make sure she continues to be healthy as she grows. She's now able to play in a pen with other calves and likes to frolic with her friends.
Download the activity and coloring sheets below for fun dairy-related activities.
– Farmer Melinda Schoen-Morrison
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| Belle at 3 months old |
November: A Letter from the Farm
As a dairy farmer, I get asked a lot of questions about raising cows and working on a dairy. Here are answers to a few common questions that I thought your class might like to know:
Where do cows sleep?
Cows sleep in big barns that we keep warm and dry in the winter, and nice and cool in the summer. Some barns have open stalls, so cows can choose their own beds. We fluff the beds every day to keep them soft, so the cows are comfortable and happy.
Cows sleep in big barns that we keep warm and dry in the winter, and nice and cool in the summer. Some barns have open stalls, so cows can choose their own beds. We fluff the beds every day to keep them soft, so the cows are comfortable and happy.
How much does she eat and drink every day?
Cows eat about 100lbs of food each day, which is A LOT! Cows eat for about 8 hours every day, and they drink 30-50 gallons of water! We keep big tubs of water (which look kind of like your bathtub at home) so the cows can drink whenever they want.
Cows eat about 100lbs of food each day, which is A LOT! Cows eat for about 8 hours every day, and they drink 30-50 gallons of water! We keep big tubs of water (which look kind of like your bathtub at home) so the cows can drink whenever they want.
Why are cows different colors and patterns?
Different breeds of cows come in different colors, like Holsteins, which are black and white, and Jerseys, which are brown. Just like snowflakes, every cow has its very own spot pattern, so no 2 cows ever look exactly the same!
Different breeds of cows come in different colors, like Holsteins, which are black and white, and Jerseys, which are brown. Just like snowflakes, every cow has its very own spot pattern, so no 2 cows ever look exactly the same!
I know you're eager for an update on Belle, too. She is now 3 months old and is growing bigger by the day. She enjoys sweet grain, which helps her grow healthy and strong.
Dairy farming is a lot of work and a lot of fun. I hope your class will enjoy some of the fun of dairy with the coloring book download at the bottom of this email.
– Farmer Melinda Schoen-Morrison
Our Kindergarten class is piloting a program sponsored by the St. Louis Dairy Council. We have adopted a calf we named Belle. Fortunately, we will not have to board Belle in our classroom! She will stay on the farm and we will get monthly photos, updates, and links to learning resources from Farmer Melinda Morrison. I will try to share some of the information we gather about Belle with families on this page.
My goal is that this experience will make our trip to the Koch's Dairy Farm in the spring more meaningful.
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| Belle at 2 weeks old |
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| Farmer Melinda Morrison |
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| Belle at 2 months old |
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