Tetzner's Dairy

Animals You Can See at Tetzner's Dairy

Cows

The cows pictured at left are Skunky and Miles. Skunky got her name because when she had her first baby, and was first brought into the milking barn, she smelled like skunk. The cows pictured to the right are Cheddar and Macaroni. Cheddar is the daughter of Macaroni. They are also family favorites because they are friendly and have interesting personalities (they like to cause mischief).

The cows are milked twice a day in the milking barn. At the height of her production a good cow will give about 100 pounds of milk a day. That is approximately eleven and a half gallons of milk a day. A cow at Tetzner's Dairy is kept as a milking cow for five or six years. However, some cows have been kept as long as twelve years.

Calves

Calves are fed a bottle of milk once in the morning and once at night for a month to six weeks. Then the calves are fed with a pail of milk. Gradually the milk is watered down until the calves only drink water. The calves are kept in individual pens until they are about two months old. Then they are moved into group pens that hold four calves. At four months the calves are moved into a larger barn that holds large groups of calves together. At fourteen months the calves, now called heifers are bred with a bull, and at two years old they have their first calf. After they have their first calf the heifers are moved into the milking barn and are called cows.

Goats

The goats pictured above are Cocoa and Leo. They enjoy eating hay, grain, grass, strawberries, cherries, dandilions, and anything else they can reach.

Geese

The geese live in the same pen as the goats and for the most part they all get along fine.

Cats

The cats keep the mice on the farm under control. They are fed morning and night, but they supplement their food with their own hunting. When it is time to feed the cats, an employee of Tetzner's Dairy makes a purring noise with their tongue to call the cats. The cats know that this sound means food.

Dogs

The dogs from left to right are: Sophie, Blackie as a puppy, Blackie now, Ruby, and Marty. Rubie and Marty are brother and sister. The dogs work hard to prevent Tetzner's Dairy from being robbed.