Zoological Society of Milwaukee (WI) www.zoosociety.org
Lisa Guglielmi feeds corn to Elaine, a Guernsey cow.
Lisa Guglielmi has her dream job. She gets to work with farm animals, which she loves. Every morning she stops to hug one of the Zoo’s horses. It’s common for zookeepers to go to the farm if they need some cheering up. The animals love the attention. “All I have to do is go into the horse or calf barn and they put a smile on my face,” she says. Guglielmi is area supervisor of the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm. She is in charge of acquiring farm animals and hiring farm staff. You may be wondering what happens to the farm animals in winter. Most of the farm is closed, but there are still plenty of animals to see. The guinea hogs, horses, donkeys, and cows may be in the barns or out in the yards (unless there’s a snowstorm). Warm up inside the Dairy Barn by visiting the Zoo’s seven breeds of cows: Black and White Holstein, Red and White Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn. Five of those breeds are milked during cow-milking
WINTER 2008
demonstrations two or three times a day. On average, three calves are born each year. The Zoo usually keeps the girl calves because they can have babies and replace older females. The boy calves often are sold to farmers. The Zoo sells its milk to Golden Guernsey Dairy in Waukesha. The next glass of milk you drink may have come from the Zoo’s cows. Some animals are sensitive to the cold. They stay inside in the winter. These include the goats, the birds of prey, and animals such as turtles and chickens. To make sure the goats are healthy when you pet them in the summer, the staff does a goat roundup in March. All 72 goats are weighed and given vaccinations and checkups. Most of the farm animals receive special activities or treats routinely in winter. Zookeepers give them boxes to play in or various toys and food treats. The chicks and the bees return to the farm in spring. Growing up, Lisa Guglielmi learned to love animals by caring for her family’s pets: two dogs, a horse, gerbils, kittens, and fish. She became more interested as she watched animals in Disney movies and “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” TV shows. At the Zoo she has worked with many animals, from birds to bats. Farm animals such as horses, and their cousin the zebra, are still her favorites. Since she started working at the Zoo in 1992, she has collected about 50 zebra figurines. To work in the Zoo’s farm, you must have six months’ experience working with animals and a high school diploma. Many Zoo staff have college degrees, too. Guglielmi received a B.S. in biology with a zoology emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. This winter stop by the farm, which is the city of Milwaukee’s only working dairy farm, to learn more about farm animals. -By Danielle Johnson Kids Alive WINTER 2008
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