Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 20

KEVIN BRAUN

N
ANDY HARRISO

Above: Piglets typically weigh about 2 pounds at birth and can
double their weight in the first week of life. Left: Youngsters meet
newborn piglets with the help of Baby Barn ambassadors, who are
members of FFA and 4-H programs in Georgia.

the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. Last year,
guests experienced the births of 20 calves during the
fair, which was cut short by two days because of Hurricane Michael.

Bringing the farm to the people

ISTOCK.COM / BAZILFOTO

Jack Spruill spent much of his youth milking
cows on a family farm in Hoschton. Now, as director
of marketing for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, he sees the Baby Barn as an opportunity
to educate Georgians about their state's agrarian
heritage. After all, agriculture is still the state's largest economic driver.
"Many Georgians are generations removed from
the farm and don't have an agrarian background,
so the Baby Barn and all that the fair offers provide
a way to educate them about the most important
industry in our state," Spruill says. "The Baby Barn is
just one of the many ways we are helping
people learn about agriculture and farm life."
The Baby Barn was several
years in the making. Members of
the Georgia Agricultural Exposition
Authority, which oversees the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter
in Perry, researched similar animal
programs at state fairs nationwide.
Spruill says that the concept and operation of the Miracle of Birth Center at the
Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul had the
most appeal.
"We saw that urbanites were fascinated by the birth center," Spruill says.
"They would stand for hours with their
kids waiting for the births of baby goats,
lambs and piglets. However, we wanted
to make the program our own, so we

Georgia Magazine

September 2019

decided to narrow the focus. Our research showed that public
interest was highest for the birth of cows, so we decided to focus
on dairy cows-partly because calves are born more like miniature adults than other farm animals. They're like a miniature of
their mama right from the start."
Dairy farming and beef production are big business in
Georgia. More than 500,000 calves are born each year in the
state. And Spruill says that there are cows in every county in
Georgia.
"Deciding to focus on cows was a slam-dunk and a perfect
way to educate people about the importance of cows to the
state," he says.
Predicting delivery dates for cows is fairly straightforward,
Spruill says. "A delivery will typically take place between 282
and 283 days after insemination. And, as is the standard practice when raising cattle, the cows are artificially inseminated, so
we know exactly when conception occurs."

Life begins anew
The cows who deliver at the Baby Barn make their yearround home at a nearby Middle Georgia dairy farm, where
they stay until the 281st day after
conception.
"Then they're moved to the
Baby Barn, where they will have the
cleanest environment and the greatest care available when they deliver their
calves," Spruill says.
"Around a dairy farm, cows are the greatest
asset, and they're treated like royalty. There is a direct
relationship between the amount of milk produced
and the comfort and well-being of the cow. Their
babies will be the next generation of mothers and are
cared for painstakingly to offer them successful transition into that role as they mature."
Calf births are still the main focus this year, but
Baby Barn organizers realized that guests would want

Georgia Magazine - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - September 2019