Dairy Vocabulary: Ear Tag, Freestall Barn, Hutch

Ear Tag – A plastic tag we put on our cows’ ears to identify them. Each tag has their number, dad’s name and birthday on them.

Freestall Barn – A freestall barn is a type of barn that some dairy farms, like ours, use to house their cows. They are called “freestall” barns because the cows are free to do as they please. They can walk from stall to stall, rest, eat and drink whenever they want.

Hutch – This is an individual house where we keep our calves. Having our calves in hutches lets us watch them carefully to make sure they stay healthy and comfortable.