New Cowboy in town as Ag barn celebrates calf

Carlie Rutledge

More stories from Carlie Rutledge

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photo or infographic by courtesy photo

The Ag barn welcomed Cowboy in early January. The calf was the first barn baby born at the facility. Cowboy and his mother is a project of senior Cali Carpenter.

As the new year came around the corner, the ag barn celebrated it first barn baby.

Senior Cali Carpenter’s heifer birthed her first calf on January 5th. It was the first baby born in the Ag center.

“I was excited that day because I had been waiting for it,” Carpenter said.  “We were on baby-watch in the barn for like a week. I had been waiting for it, but sadly, I couldn’t play with it that day because I had work.”

Carpenter was not the only one excited to have the new calf in the barn. 

“It was fun, and it was cool to see the project come full circle,”  agriculture teacher Amanda Traylor said. “All four of the families were crucial, and each family was watching.  It was also really fun to see it on video.”

Gender reveal parties may be the norm for people now-a-days, but it is definitely not something to do for heifers.  Carpenter and her family excitedly await the birth of the new calf.  

“I felt excited, and I wanted the calf to be a girl,” Carpenter said.  “I had a lot of girl names picked out, but the calf was a boy.”

After months of waiting, the ag barn had a promise of a new calf, and it delivered.  

“It was great to finally have the new addition to the ag family,” agriculture teacher Tanis Price said.  “It was exciting to see him be born, and it was something special to come back to after being gone on break.”

It can be hard to pick out a name for a baby, let alone a calf.  When picking names, most people talk with friends and loved ones to decide on a name for the newborn, but not everyone follows that routine. 

“I wrote up the names people gave me and put them in a hat and that’s how I got the name Cowboy,” Carpenter said.