Fall is creeping in, which puts us smack dab in the middle of state fair season.

Loading up the SUV with all of the kids to roll for a fun day at the fair is a beloved pastime. You can get basically anything deep fried, ride some rides, usually see a concert or two, and try to win a 6-foot-tall teddy bear, all in one family-friendly spot.

What you may not see? Cows — or at least, not breathing cows.

At any good state fair, there will be a fun part for the kids where they can either pet some farm animals, or learn how to milk a real cow. Big city kids don’t often get that experience, and it is for sure a core memory for a child if they do.

But this year has been a little different at some state fairs: They have had to use fake cows instead of real cows for the kids to milk and pet.

At the Michigan State Fair, which just wrapped up on Labor Day (Sept. 2), you could visit two fake cows named Milkshake and Buttercup at the children’s milking demo. The two life-size fiberglass cows came complete with rubber teats and water-filled udders — not even milk — for a popular milking demo.

At this year’s Minnesota State Fair, they did something similar at their popular Moo Booth, with a fake cow named Olympia.

“Normally, we’d have a real cow out there, we just can’t do that right now,” Jill Nathe, general manager of the agriculture and competition department at the Minn. fair says.

So, Why Are Fake Cows Being Used at State Fairs?

As avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to spread, fairs have had to take precautions when it comes to live animals — namely cows this year.

Herds of cattle all over the country have been infected with the bird flu: There have been 13 cases in the United States, with at least 4 coming from dairy cows.

State and county fair organizers have been forced to nix nostalgic summer traditions this year, but at least there is a fun work-around.

Maybe next year will be better.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today’s top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!