Skip to content
Menu
Updated:
10/22/25
If you’ve visited the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm recently, you may have met our black and white Holstein bull calf, Lee. He was born on September 23 to mother Sadie, who’s doing well. This is the second new calf to the Farm, as female Ayrshire calf, Mabel, was born in late July.
Guests can visit Lee in the Calf Yard — he soaks up the attention when people stop by. He and Mabel have met through the fence surrounding the Calf Yard, and both are very curious of each other. Under the supervision of zookeepers, Lee and Mabel interact directly, running and playing together.
Similar to dairy farms, and in the same process as when Mabel was born, milking the mother is started right away once a birth is finished. This is imperative to the survival of the calf and overall health of the mother. The colostrum is collected from the first milking and is immediately given to the calf, ensuring the calf receives all of the important nutrients and antibodies. Learn more about the milking process and the importance colostrum can have on other Zoo animals as well. Our senior staff veterinarian, Dr. Christy Rettenmund, explains this process.
—
Originally Posted:
8/11/25
The Zoo has welcomed a new Ayrshire calf to the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm. The new addition is a heifer, or female, named Mabel. She was born on July 28 to mother Phoebe. When a calf is born on the farm, the milking process is started right away to help ensure the survival of the calf and health of the mother, similar to how other dairy farms are run.
Hear all about this process from Assistant Curator Bridget Carpenter, and be sure to stop by to see Mabel on your next visit to the Farm! She’s very curious to her surroundings and can be seen in the Calf Yard.
© 2025 Milwaukee County Zoo. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy