Lambs, chicks, rabbits, pigs and many other farm animals are born in spring, but Durham dairy farmer Jason Wiebe said it’s just another season for his calves.

“The difference with a dairy is that it’s usually year-round,” he said. “That’s to spread the work load and milk production, and we don’t rely on grazing to put weight on our calves like beef cattle.”

Grazing cattle during spring would increase milk production during that time, but it would also cause an overload, Wiebe said.

“We try to stretch the work out so it’s even,” he said. “Calving is a very big deal and there a lot of extra work.”

While he is a dairy farmer, Wiebe keeps a relatively small stock, with only 120 head of cattle.

Having a small operation allows Wiebe to limit the amount of labor he needs.

“It makes a lot of difference,” he said. “The more cows you have the more labor you have and more work is needed.”