TERRE HAUTE —
When asked if they’d like to take care of an animal, most youth would choose a dog or cat. Will Hart, a freshman at Terre Haute North Vigo High School, opted for a taller, high-maintenance animal. He chose to lease dairy calves so he could show them at the Vigo County and Indiana State fairs.
“If you have the opportunity, why not jump on it and try something new,” Will said. “I enjoy working with animals and feeding and watering them every day. I live in a subdivision outside of town, but there’s no room to raise dairy calves. My mom helped me set up a great lease arrangement so I could pursue showing dairy.”
Will’s mom, Julie, is Purdue’s Vigo County Extension director, and she grew up on a Holstein dairy farm in Vanderburgh County. She asked Debby Laswell, Vigo County’s 4-H dairy superintendent, if Will could lease and show some of her dairy calves. Laswell happily agreed, and used Purdue’s animal lease agreement as the contract between the families.
“If kids are interested in dairy, then I want to be there to help them,” Laswell, who lives in southeastern Vigo County, said. “My beginning to lease calves started with Will. He decided he wanted to show, and he’s now in his second year. He’s even gotten his younger sister, Stella, interested. This year, he’s been a tremendous help. He’s learned to clip calves’ hair coats with the help of my granddaughter, Elyssa.
“[Will’s] learning to lead animals, and he’s learning that the animals come first, not you,” Laswell said. “You must feed and water them because they depend on you to take care of them. Unlike beef cattle, dairy must be fed four times a day, and when they are mature cows, two years or older, they must be milked twice a day. Only heifers, dairy cows under two years of age, can be leased for showing.”
Laswell’s dairy background began with hanging out as a young child in her grandparents’ barn, where they milked Jerseys. “I was in the barn as soon as I was big enough to help milk cows. I showed calves in Vigo County’s 4-H program, and when my boys were little, we bought a few head. Now, we’re up to about 20 to 25 head. My heifers are with me, but when they are ready to be milked at two years or older, they are taken to Scott at Snider Farms at New Paris and Tony Fuentes at Berne. Both guys are great at encouraging kids to lease animals for showing, and they lease animals in their respective counties. My grandson, granddaughter and a niece all show dairy as well.”
Laswell volunteers her time to help the 4-H’ers, not charging for the animals or their feed. “The animals have to be fed every day anyway, so what better way to keep the animals fed and cared for than to share the responsibilities with youth who want to learn.”
4-H youth also learn that dairy calves don’t require the show preparation that beef cattle or swine do. Laswell brings the kids together with the calves a month before county fair to help get the heifer calves ready. “The calves are so docile and you can lead them to water in just a few days. If the calves will be shown at state fair, then they are put out in the pasture following the county fair for a while.”
Will is in his sixth year of 4-H and does photography, recycling, farm scene, creative writing projects, and Junior Leaders as well as dairy. “I’m having a great experience learning about dairy calves,” he said. “I think it’s been great that this year’s state fair theme is ‘year of dairy cows.’ They’re worth celebrating.”
Susan Hayhurst is a freelance writer from Terre Haute and is a member of the Indiana State Fair Commission.
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Vigo 4-H’er leases calves to gain dairy experience
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