Another exciting day of births!

It was another exciting day yesterday at the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center. We once again had Princess Kay of the Milky Way join us. Along with that, we welcomed eight new piglets and a beautiful bull calf to the Center.

The day was filled with excitement as we listened to Princess Kay of the Milky Way during story time. After that people were able to participate in a scavenger hunt to learn more about agriculture and the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center!  

The rain decided to hit us. Luckily, we had a sow that was ready to farrow so those stuck inside were able to experience the miracle of birth. The sow had eight healthy piglets and they are all doing great! Stop out to to building 43 at the Olmsted County fairgrounds and visit them along with the other three litters of piglets!  

The fun didn't stop there. Shortly after the piglets were born around 5:30 p.m., one of the cows went into labor. Unfortunately, the calf was coming backwards. So we had to assist the cow in giving birth for her safety and the safety of the calf. The bull calf was born around 7 p.m. We am happy to report that mother and baby are doing fantastic!

Today the birth center was crawling with people as well! Everyone loves visiting the new piglets and seeing the chicks, ducks, calves and lambs. At 3:45 p.m. today, the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center welcomed a healthy heifer (girl) calf! The mother did great delivering her and the calf is about ready to start standing!

We still have some chicks left to hatch, a cow to calve and a pig to farrow! So come check out all the baby animals at the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center and learn how to milk a cow!  

Gar-Lin Dairy: The people behind the cows!

It is less than a week away from the opening of the miracle of birth center and everything is coming together nicely. At the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center we will be having four cows giving birth. The cows are going to be coming from Gar-Lin Dairy and we are going to take this time to get to know them better.

Gar-Lin Dairy Farms started with Gary and Linda Allen in 1975 when they purchased the dairy and 40 cows from Gary’s parents. Over time, the farm expanded both in cow numbers and people to include son, Dean, and daughter, Dana. In 2006, the Allens partnered with another dairy family and over the last few years have expanded the herd to include 1,850 cows and farm 3,100 acres of alfalfa, corn, canning peas and rye grass. Currently, Gar-Lin Dairy’s management team includes Gary and Linda Allen, Dean Allen, Dr. Dana Allen and Carey Tweten.

The management team at Gar-Lin Dairy (from left to right) Carey Tweten, Dr. Dana, Gary, Linda and Dean.

At Gal-Lin Dairy they milk 1,650 cows three times a day. On average each of their cows produce 31,460 pounds of milk a year. That is approximately 3,700 gallons of milk! Every day on the farm they have an average of six cows giving birth. You will be able to see some of Gar-Lin Dairy's cows at the miracle of birth center starting July 26!

We are very thankful to Gar-Lin Dairy for their support of the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center!


The answer to the last blog was: Americans eat about 100 acres of pizza each day! That is a lot of cheese!

Question for the next blog: What is the schedule of events for the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center?

Check back tomorrow to find out what is happening everyday at the Miracle of Birth Center!

The miracle of birth

It is difficult not to smile at a baby animal because they are so cute and innocent. The miracle of birth is an amazing thing to witness. To see an animal come into this world and watch it as it takes its first step is something that one never forgets. Its now July, which means you have less than a month until you will be able to witness piglets and calves being born and chicks hatching. Here are some fun facts about each of the animals you will be able to see!

A mother pig is known as a sow and a father pig is called a boar. It will take a sow three months, three weeks, and three days to have a litter of piglets (baby pigs). In each litter there are approximately eight to 12 piglets. A sow has about two litters of piglets a year. At birth, a piglet weighs about three pounds and will double its weight in about seven days. 

A baby cow is known as a calf. Its mother is known as a cow and the dad is a bull. It takes a cow about 9.5 months for a cow to have a calf. A calf weighs about 85 pounds at birth and can walk in less than an hour after it is born! Once full grown, a cow will weigh about 1,500 pounds, which is equal to 16 fourth graders.

A mother chicken is known as a hen and a father is a rooster. A baby chicken is known as a chick. A hen can start laying eggs when she is just 19 weeks old. It takes about 24 hours for a hen to lay and egg and they can lay up to 265 eggs a year. 

Get excited to experience the miracle and see these cute baby animals in person!

The answer to the last question: it takes up to eight years of college to become a veterinarian. 

Check out the next blog to find out the answer to this question:

How many times does a chickens heart beat in a minute?