Cows milk the benefits

FLUFFY fingered farmers are pampering their dairy cows with massages and comfy mattresses to produce better tasting milk.
Some spoilt herds are being tucked up each night on three inches of soft rubber and sawdust while some are lucky enough to get a WATER bed.

And for a special treat, farmers are even installing special MASSAGE equipment into the sheds belonging to their Frisian friends.

And farmers say all the pampering gives the milk better TASTE.

The barmy sounding moo-ves are part of the ‘Caring Dairy’ initiative set up by ice-cream maker Ben and Jerry’s.

They believe paying special attention to animal welfare makes the cows “happier” and prolongs their normally short lives.


Happy

Dutch dairy farmer Nancy Vermeer whose 80 strong herd supplies milk to the ice-cream giant from her Wapse farm, in the east of the Netherlands, said: “The cows have to be happy. If they’re not, they won’t give milk.

“Our cows used to lie on concrete but now they have mattresses made of soft rubber with a covering of sawdust which they prefer.

“Water beds are available but these can be very expensive.

“If a person is unwell their breath can smell, so I personally think you can taste the difference in the milk of a happy cow.

"It tastes sweeter.”

Neighbouring farmer Robert Welhuis has a personal masseuse on hand for his herd in the form of a thick bristled brush which cost Euros 1500.

“I’ve had it about a year and the cows really like it,” he said.

“They like to give themselves a scratch behind the ear.

“It keeps their skin in good condition, they pass back and fourth along the brushes which is like a massage for them.”

And even the boss agrees the initiative is worthy of a PAT on the back.

Ben & Jerry's co-founder, Jerry Greenfield said: “Comfy cows are happy cows.”