Our New Calf is One-Month-Old and Mooooving About!

Martini is drinking milk from a bottle and has been offered hay and grain from about 3 days old. Often, the calves don’t eat immediately at this young age. At about 8 weeks old she’ll be weaned from milk. She always has access to fresh water also.

The normal process for a newly-born calf is to live in the Farm’s outdoor “hutch.” However, because Martini had a respiratory issue, zookeepers waited until she recovered, and then transferred her to the hutch. When the weather is nice, Martini will be visible to guests outside. In rainy conditions, most likely she’ll be in the Heifer barn — not visible to guests.

Try to catch Martini in the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm next time you’re at the Zoo!

Fast Facts:

• Of the more than 9.36 million dairy cows in the United States, 94% are of Holstein descent.
• Mature Holstein cows typically weigh around 1,500 pounds and stand 58 inches tall at the shoulder, making it the largest of U.S. dairy breeds.
• The world record for milk production was set by a Holstein cow from Wisconsin in 2017. She produced 78,170 pounds of milk that year.