Cuddles and Snuggles

BLAIR RYAN: Tell us the primary purpose of what's going on here today.

DR. TRISHA WEBB: So the whole purpose of the Animal Learning Center is to expose the general public to animal agriculture, and a lot of people don't get to experience life on a farm today. 

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From chicks hatching to a cow calving, they really can see all depths of animals giving birth, and it's really fun because you not only get the educational aspect, but you get these cute little guys for the public to see.

CHILD: Yeah. I really liked holding the chicks because I get to show my brothers, and this is their first state fair, so I think it's kind of cool that they can see all the animals and people and stuff.

BLAIR: What is the most exciting thing that's happened this year so far in the Animal Learning Center?

DR. TRISHA: I would say just in general, the birth. We've had a lot of lambs going, so we've had a lot of lambs born. We've had two sows, so you're looking at 15-17 piglets coming out too, so it's a lot going on.

BLAIR: Can you tell me what you thought of that little baby pig?

CHILD'S DAD: What did you think?

BLAIR: Okay. I have one other question. I just want to know, was the baby piggy soft?

DAD: Yeah?

BLAIR: Have you done any chores yet? Did you get to milk a cow?

YOUNG GIRL: We moved some chicks into the incubator over there, and we collected eggs.

DR. TRISHA: The core producers do a great job of showing what a gestation crate versus a fairing stall is. You get people that get to see cows calving and how natural of a process that is. It's really, really cool, and I'm excited to show the public this every day of the fair.