In the calm before a newborn, Aurora has the quiet barn all to herself. She munches hay in the maternity stall. Her mouth is full, her body fuller. She’s a Dutch Belt, a thicker-bodied cow breed, but the extra baby weight in her belly is obvious.

It’s April 12, and Aurora is five days overdue. Here in the Twin Cities, the month of April has been a rollercoaster of weather, from a heavy snowstorm straight to temperatures in the 80s. A fan blows cool air on the pregnant cow.

Aurora, a Dutch Belt cow, awaits the birth of her calf in the maternity stall in the Dairy Barn at the Wells Fargo Family Farm.

“She’s definitely uncomfortable in this heat,” Dawn Walker says. “But perhaps this change in the weather can help her.”

Walker is a Farm Zoologist who helps lead animal care, labor, and delivery at the Wells Fargo Family Farm at the Minnesota Zoo. Over her many years at the Zoo, she’s seen how changes in weather and barometric pressure can sometimes kickstart labor—and hopes that’s true for overdue Aurora.

To give her space from irritable or excitable herd mates, Aurora has been in the maternity stall awaiting baby for more than two weeks. Even though Aurora is an experienced mom with an uneventful birth last year, her second calf is clearly setting its own timetable.

“Every mom and pregnancy and labor is a little different,” Walker says. That’s why the Farm staff keep a close eye on all the pregnant animals. With Aurora, they’re watching for a cow’s telltale signs of labor, including a full udder, the top of the tail stretching out, and decreasing appetite.

In the weeks prior to Farm Babies (opening April 29, 2023) Zoo staff check on pregnant moms around the clock. If overnight staff notice laboring animals, the on-call Zookeeper comes in and gives a heads-up to Zoo veterinarians.

Labor of Love

“Keepers mostly don’t need to intervene in labor,” Walker says. But the highly experienced team at the Farm stays by mom’s side to monitor labor and assist if needed.

When giving birth, cows lie down. Walker says you can see the contractions “rolling through” the cow’s abdomen. The calf’s feet emerge first from the birth canal, its nose tucked between its legs.

“The calf’s tongue is pink, sticking out, and moving,” she says. “That’s the first sign that all is well, and you have a healthy baby.”

Once the crown of the head appears, the rest of the calf’s body is quick to follow. Calves can weigh up to 90 pounds at birth, though Walker expects Aurora’s calf to be in the 80- to 85-pound range.

Six calves are expected this spring, from early April to May, and guests are welcome to watch births if they happen during the day.

“The Zoo is a learning facility, and this is a teaching and learning moment,” Walker says. “We want people to see and understand all of it so please ask your questions!”

Doe, a Goat, a Female Goat

Louisa, a 3-year-old Alpine Milking-Nigerian cross goat, tends to her twin kids born April 17, 2023.

Across the barnyard, in another maternity pen, Louisa the goat awaits labor and delivery, too. She is 3 years old, a first-time mom, and a cross of two goat breeds, an Alpine Milking and a Nigerian goat. From feeling her sides, the health and care teams think Louisa’s having twins, though triplets are common in goats (and the Zoo once had quadruplets).

This season at the Farm, Louisa is one of five pregnant does (also called nanny goats). They were all bred in mid-December. The Zoo does not have a breeding male goat, called a billy or buck, so Walker arranged to rent one from another farm.

Part of Walker’s role is keeping the farm animals’ breeding records. She identifies suitable male animals to father healthy babies and maintain genetic diversity of the Zoo’s herds. Rare and heritage breeds like Dutch Belt cattle add to the challenge of that work. Walker says there’s only a handful of farms in the country that can help with artificial insemination of that breed.

After breeding, pregnancies are confirmed with blood tests and later, ultrasounds. Quality prenatal care is essential, and Zookeepers work closely with Zoo veterinarians and health staff to support the animals throughout the pregnancy.

As with Aurora, Zookeepers watch Louisa for signs of labor. Like a cow, a soon-to-give-birth goat will have full udder and the tail held up and back. Louisa is starting to get restless, pawing at the ground, laying down, only to get right back up. She moves side to side to get more comfortable and help shift the babies inside her into an ideal position for delivery. All key signals her kids will soon be on the ground, up, and running.

Eating for Two (or Three)

Dairy cows produce milk about 10 months of the year, then are “dried off” for breeding purposes. Walker says they gradually taper from twice daily milkings, to once a day, to fully stopping. This ensures the cow has a break before calving and can put all her energy into the final two months of her gestation period. Cows typically have their first calf at age 2, then reproduce every 12 to 14 months. Just like humans, they’re pregnant for nine months.

Zoo nutritionist Kelly Kappen helps formulate diets for every animal, including pregnant cows. Following that dietary guidance, Keepers carefully balance the diet and correlate it to the specific stage of lactation (milk production) and gestation. Forage and roughage are very important for ruminants like cows, so they continue to have free access to grass hay.

Staff monitor the pregnant cows’ weight gain to ensure the calf is developing over the nine-month gestation. Walker says the cows are trained to step onto a scale, pause briefly for it to register weight, and then walk off. She tracks weight, food intake and behavior as part of her Keeper reports.

This healthy female Dutch Belt calf was born to Aurora on April 15, 2023 at the Wells Fargo Family Farm.

For the five months of goat gestation, Walker says they transition the pregnant goats to a small amount of sweet feed to help with demanding nutritional needs. Goats are ruminants like cows, so also always have access to grass hay.

Animal care and health staff can also assess the body condition of the moms by feeling the topline and rib area. If an animal is over or underweight, food is adjusted in “small increments, a slow transition, no big changes,” Walker says. This gentle approach is best for mom and baby.

Moms-To-Be To See

Aurora and Louisa are just two of the pregnant and new moms at the Wells Fargo Family Farm. Guests can expect to see many more cows, goats, sheep, and pigs—all of whom are receiving the highest quality pre- and post-natal care.

During the Farm Babies season, April 29 – June 4, guests may see the debut of a calf, kid, or lamb—or a whole litter of piglets! And, as Walker emphasizes, the Zoo is a learning facility and guests are encouraged to witness, wonder, and ask questions about the maternal nature of farm animals.

Update: Aurora gave birth to a healthy calf on April 15. Louisa’s twin kids arrived April 17. Moms and babies are thriving.