IMPERIAL — Morgan Enz could not contain her excitement as she watched Bubbles, a newborn calf, try to walk around her pen at Doc’s Farm, an ongoing ag education exhibit at the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta.
“I just love animals,” said Morgan, an 11-year-old Imperial resident. “I love that we can see all the little babies with their moms. I especially like the piglets because they are so little and pink.”
Bubbles’ mother, Sunflower, is the first animal to give birth during the fair’s run, said Doc’s Farm staff member Danielle Standiford.
“Heifers like (Sunflower) are usually in labor for about an hour and hers lasted less than 20 minutes,” Standiford said. “She did really well. We just kept an eye on her from a distance to make sure she was OK.”
Although Bubbles’ arrival came before the fair opened, the film crew of RFD-TV’s “Small Town, Big Deal” nearly caught the birth on tape.
“(Sunflower) wasn’t really cooperating with them,” said Chandler Ryan, a Doc’s Farm staff member with a smile. “I think she kept the calf in for as long as possible.”
Calipatria FFA member Megan Duncan said the farm was a fitting tribute to the man who dedicated his time to the betterment of the animal community in the Imperial Valley, the late Dr. James Thompson.
“It’s very touching,” said Duncan, an 18-year-old Calipatria High School senior. “I’m sure Dr. Thompson would have loved it.”
A new heifer will be brought in today in the hope community members will have the opportunity to see it give birth.
Staff Writer Karina Lopez can be reached at 760-337-3439 or klopez@ivpressonline.com
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