Amid the nasal sounds of cows voicing an occasional "moo" and herdsman coaxing preoccupied heifers into the milking parlor, Mina struggled through a difficult, nearly four-hour labor, finally giving birth to a baby boy - or male calf - at MSU's Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center.
"A heifer will be bred for the first time at about 15 months old and will have her first calf and start milking when she is about 2 years old," herd manager Bob Kreft said. "She will have a calf approximately every 12 months after that."
Kreft has managed the center located at 4075 College Road in Lansing for the past 13 years. The facility houses about 350 cattle, including a 180 cow herd that produces more than 1,300 gallons of milk daily.
Although most heifers will give birth without difficulty, Kreft estimated that about 20 percent need some assistance. As a first-time mother, Mina was assisted by two staff members who strapped the calf's legs to help pull him out.
Veterinary medicine senior Misty Vore, who assisted Mina with the birth of her calf, said the birth was mildly difficult. "I have seen a lot worse.
"Had we let her wait longer, there could have been increased risks for her and the calf both," Vore said.
Herdsman Bruce Kurzhals also assisted with the birthing process. "There is always the chance that the umbilical cord could separate and the calf would be dead," he said.
"We have skilled and knowledgeable people we train well to watch them," Kreft said of the heifers, adding that if problems arise, the staff has access to veterinary staff at on-campus clinics. The numbers of problems are minimal, with only a few cesarean sections performed on cattle at the facility yearly.
Because no bulls are kept at the facility, all cattle are artificially inseminated, which Kreft points out is standard in the industry. The 282 day gestation period for a cow translates into about nine and a half months, slightly longer than that of humans.
Once a calf is born, it is hand-fed colustrum - the first milk produced by a cow after she gives birth. Colustrum gives the vulnerable calf the ability to fight off diseases. "We jokingly refer to it as liquid gold," Kreft said.
The calf is then kept in a calf hutch for eight weeks while staff feeds the newborn milk substitute, similar to baby formula, which gives the calf necessary protein and energy. After weaning, the calf is moved into a pen with other calves for the first time.
Kreft said the calves are very inquisitive.
"Sometimes it reminds me of a kindergarten class frolicking around."
