As the dog days of summer wind down this year, Ben Norman finds himself in a familiar place — the California State Fair in Sacramento.

Norman, a UC Davis Extension veterinarian emeritus, has been bringing a health team of veterinary students to the fair for 30 years. He and the students are a major part of the animal exhibits, performing health checks on all 7,000 critters at the fair, running a cow- and goat-milking tent, and overseeing the livestock nursery.

This year, 32 veterinary students and eight animal science students are set to participate. They get paid for their work, and someone must be at the fair to supervise the livestock

24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Working the fair is a huge commitment for Norman and his students. He began planning for this year's event last October. His students started training more than three months ago, learning how to properly examine the cows, pigs, goats and sheep, and how to interact with the public. Many of the future veterinarians are not used to working with livestock, so the fair provides valuable experience, Norman said.

"For about half the students," he said, "this is the only large animal experience they'll have."

Things heat up the week before the fair. Three days before the opening, Norman brings his team together for a barbecue during which the last details are finalized. The next two days are spent setting up at the fair. Norman, who retired in 1994, said he often puts in 12 to 14 hours the day before the opening.

Although Norman spends plenty of time at the fair during its first week, the students run the show. Many of this year's volunteers are in their third year. Besides veterinary work, they are organize shifts and mingle with fairgoers.

"The students make this whole project possible and worthwhile," Norman said.

By far the most popular attraction that the veterinary and animal science students manage is the livestock nursery. Pregnant animals receive round-the-clock attention. When one goes into labor, the animal is placed on a stage surrounded by bleachers, and a veterinary student gives a commentary to the assembled crowd. More than 100 calves, piglets, goat kids and lambs are typically born each fair.

The proximity to farm animals is something that many people seldom experience, Norman said, adding that young children are often fascinated by the animals giving birth. He recalled one time years ago when two cows gave birth at almost the same time on the stage.

He told the audience that one of the calves was a heifer and the other was a bull. One young girl asked Norman how he was able to tell the difference between the two, so he brought her up on stage.

"I raised the tail of the heifer calf and said, 'That's what a heifer looks like,' " Norman recalled. "And then I raised the tail of the bull calf and said, 'That's what a bull looks like.' And the little girl said, 'That's just like my baby brother!' They learn quickly."

Norman joined the fair a year after a bit of commotion in the livestock area. A sow gave birth, and fairgoers did more than $1,000 worth of damage while trying to get a look at the piglets. A UC Davis teaching assistant, who served as livestock manager that summer, suggested a change in operation -- and she encouraged Norman to take the job.

“Judy King deserves credit for suggesting that someone at the School of Veterinary Medicine take over and for encouraging me to take over the supervision of the livestock nursery," Norman said. "She was very supportive of our efforts."

In his first summer on the job, Norman brought three student volunteers and a handful of borrowed pigs, sheep and goats to the fair. "People were interested even at first," he said.

The fair decided to expand the operation the following year, and Norman brought a sow and a dozen runt piglets. The pigs were a hot commodity — and continue to be today — "because they're wiggly and they're cute and there are lots of them," he said.

Norman has continued to broaden the program over the years, bringing in more animals, and incorporating cow- and goat- milking for children, among other activities. This year, for example, fairgoers will have the opportunity to churn butter.

AT THE FAIR AND ON THE WEB

The livestock nursery is south of Building C. If you cannot make it there, watch it on the Web: www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu.

Also on the Web: More on UC Davis’ veterinary work at the fair: www.ucdavis.edu/spotlight/0806/vet_med_nursery.html.

AT A GLANCE

WHEN: Today (Aug. 11)-Labor Day, Sept. 4.

HOURS: Noon-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday and Labor Day; closed Monday (except Labor Day). Midway open until 11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, midnight Friday-Sunday and Labor Day, except Saturday, Sept. 2, when the entire fair closes at 10.

WHERE: Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., off Business 80 (Capital City Freeway), Sacramento.

ADMISSION: $8 general, $6 seniors 62 and up, $5 children 5-12, free children 4 and under.

PARKING: $6.

INFORMATION: (916) 263-FAIR (263-3247) or toll-free (877) CAL-EXPO, or www.bigfun.org.