New cows on the block: Witter Farm welcomes 14 new heifers

On Wednesday, May 10, 2024 Witter Farm welcomed 14 new heifers (female cattle that have not yet given birth). The Holstein heifers were selected from the stock available at Gold Top Farm in Knox, Maine. The lovely ladies were excited to arrive at their new home:

The introduction of new stock to the Witter Farm’s dairy herd represents a historic moment in the University of Maine’s storied dairy legacy. UMaine has maintained a dairy farm on campus for nearly a century and some of the cows at Witter Farm today can trace their lineage back to 1948. Since then Witter herd’s establishment no more than one cow has been purchased and added to the herd at a time. It hasn’t always been easier for UMaine’s dairy cows. A fire in the early 1970’s destroyed  the original barn, leading to the construction of the Witter Farm and the herd was relocated. The Witter herd has fluctuated in size from highs of over 100 cows to lows of just a couple dozen. The introduction of these heifers will bring their numbers back up ~40 individuals.

Bolstering the size of the Witter herd is important at this time as construction of a new dairy barn breaks ground this May. The new dairy barn will house a state-of-the-art milking robot. With more space, new technologies, and a larger herd students and researchers will have novel opportunities to study dairy production and animal husbandry in Maine.

*****WITTER FARM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR CONSTRUCTION. WE PLAN TO BE OPEN AGAIN IN 2025*****