It is hard to do milking programs when you don't happen to have a fresh cow. Once again, Golden Oaks Dairy to the rescue. They kindly stepped in and loaned Wagner Farm one of the nicest cows ever to grace a milking parlor. This is not Gibson's (the cow) first trip to Wagner Farm. What makes Gib such a good girl is that she not only put up with the rigors of a milking schedule but also somewhat enjoys all the human contact that comes with being the lead cow in educational programming. In a typical day, staff and volunteers will milk her at 5 am and then return her to the barn for her first meal of the day. School groups usually come to the Farm around 9-10 am so she is back to the parlor for a demonstration. Her next meal is at noon with more grain, hay and water. Then the final program of the day is at 4:30 pm when anyone can come to the farm and meet her and watch how a modern milking machine works. Right now she is giving about 75 pounds of milk a day! Dairy farmers always quantify the output of milk in pounds not gallons. This output will start going down the further she gets from the date that she calved. Most farms milk a cow for 305 days and then she will get a couple months off as a dry cow and then she will freshen (give birth) and start the cycle all over again. Cows are amazing animals. If you find yourself in the area stop by and meet Gibson.
