ROCKPORT — The pastures at Aldermere Farm in Rockport remained covered in deep snow the day after St. Patrick’s Day, and while there’s no obvious sign of the farm’s famous belted Galloway cattle yet, there’s plenty of activity happening behind the scenes.

On the opposite side of Russell Avenue, which is the ocean side of the farm, lie the main barns and more pastures. There, the overwintered cattle are being fed, tended and cared for to help maintain their weight until the fields are once again ready for grazing. And since Mother Nature doesn’t wait for dry ground, green grass and warm days when it comes to matters of procreation, Aldermere’s farmhands, which include local 4-H kids, are busy making sure expectant and new mother cows are kept healthy as well.

Spring is calving time at Aldermere Farm, just like in nature. The folks at Appleton Creamery are knee deep in baby goats, according to their Facebook page, and soon farms all over the Midcoast will be awash in baby chickens, turkeys, pigs, alpacas and bunnies, as well as kittens and puppies.

Aldermere Farm General Manager Ron Howard said that calves have been coming at a pretty good pace this spring.

“Six have been born so far this spring, and we have 18 more to come,” said Howard. “Then 11 in the fall.”

One calf was born just Tuesday, and it lay curled on the ground Wednesday alongside another, napping in an open barn that offered protection from the wind. One more, a few feet away, could be seen with its mother, which stayed close while her calf nursed constantly.

Back in an enclosed area, under the house that also serves as the visiting center during the holidays and other big occasions, one special calf was getting some much needed attention.

Born 12 days ago, the bull calf started becoming weak and lethargic so he was taken to this quiet, warm place indoors, where he could receive round-the-clock care and medications, as needed.

“We took him in, kept him warm and hooked up an IV to give him fluids,” Howard said March 18. “It looks like he’s turned the corner, and is doing better.”

The little calf, sporting a tag on his ear identifying him as C-4, was wearing a pint-sized blanket with an intravenous line hooked up near his neck. He was laying on a bed of hay, under a window, and despite having three people looming over him, he only slightly attempted to lift his head. He also barely moved when his head was stroked. It was obvious, this little guy was weak.

Melinda Lee, an apprentice from Ohio, was dressed warm in snow pants and big boots, entering information into a computer nearby. And we learned, he was doing better than he had been, and had actually stood up before our arrival.

The reason we even knew about him was a shout-out by the farm on their Facebook page, seeking donations of towels and blankets for just these kinds of cases.

“If they can get dry, they can stay warm,” said Howard. “They are born with enough hair that they can stay warm, but they also need to be healthy to withstand the cold weather.”

And that’s when the farm staff intervenes, and gives the little sick ones the TLC they require to give them a better chance at surviving.

This bull calf has been temporarily named Yah-Yah, according to Heidi Baker, the herd manager. Baker and Howard said that the calf will eventually be given an official name, which must start with the letter “C” this year, and have the same number of letters as its mother’s name, and if possible, either rhyme with or have some familiarity with the mother’s name.

“Long story! But it was Mr. Chatfield’s system to remember the names for many generations of his cattle.,” said Howard.

“We have been calling him Yah-Yah, the name Program Assistant Jeremy Lucas' kids call their grandmother. He was born on her birthday, and it was the first calf Jeremy saw be born and he was REALLY excited to see it,” said Baker.

For now, then, he is Yah-Yah. And his mother is being milked regularly, to further keep him healthy and improving.

But Yah-Yah is not just a “patient” at the farm right now, according to Howard. He’s providing valuable lessons to the young aspiring farmers, veterinarians and all-around animal lovers that spend their free time learning at Aldermere Farm.

“While we hate to have sick calves, it has provided the opportunity for our 4-H kids to learn about the calf's health care,” said Howard. “They have participated in giving shots, tube feeding milk and electrolytes, giving an IV, bottle feeding, taking its temperature and giving a warm bath to raise its body temperature. Giving the teens that kind of exposure is wonderful, but the outpouring of support we have had from the community to our requests for towels and blankets was pretty amazing in itself!”

Baker said the farm’s 4-H kids have really been supportive and helped out with everything Howard said.

“Plus milking the mother so that we can use her milk to feed him even though he was too weak to nurse himself,” said Baker. “He has needed 24-hour care, and meds every two hours, so it has been like having an infant at the house again. And the 4-H kids come over right after school every day to help.”

Baker said that the outpouring was so great, that they currently have plenty of blankets for newborn calves, but still have a need for towels. To make a donation, deliver clean towels to the farm office at 70 Russell Ave. And when they have enough, donations of towels can also be made to P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center or Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County.

Related link:

• Aldermere Farm

• May 9 - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Calf Unveiling Day
Open house at Aldermere Farm, 20 Russell Ave., with the new calves ready to be seen by the public. Docents and 4-H Club members present information about the farm and its renowned herd of belted Galloway cattle. Other farm representatives will be on site with their information and products. FMI: aldermere.org, info@aldemere.org or call 236-2739.