Goshen students creating prosthetic legs for Daisy the cow

GOSHEN, Ind. -- Students in a Goshen High School engineering class are getting hands on experience designing prosthetics for Daisy, a calf born with malformed hooves.

The condition, along with traits of dwarfism, make it difficult for her to walk.

The students have been enjoying the process, even though sometimes Daisy isn't the best patient.

"The cow's attitude sometimes is difficult some days to work with; she doesn't always like you messing with her and she doesn't like to be up on the table while you're working very often," junior Carter Self said.

They are trying to design prosthetics that will withstand Daisy's weight as she grows.

“Students have done a phenomenal job coming up with prototypes. We’re to the point now with how do we make them that they’ll withstand her weight because she is going to continue to grow, she’s doubled in weight she was about 30 pounds and this morning she was 62 pounds," said Jen Yoder, the engineering technology teacher.

The experience with Daisy has had positive effects in many ways.

“Students that were a little quieter in class have really opened up and gotten excited about engineering. We’re down in a wing by ourselves down here, and having Daisy here has gotten us more traffic than we’ve ever had here, that I have students coming to me saying, ‘so what do you do in those classes, and what is engineering all about?’ so that alone has been huge. Kids that never thought about engineering are interested now," Yoder said.

Daisy is a pet owned by a local family. Scroll down for additional pictures and videos of Daisy.