Happy Cows Have Flat-Screen TVs
Flat-screen TVs and waterbeds are two of the comforts enjoyed by Kirk Christie's dairy cows on his farm in Iowa. The idea behind the frills is that cows will make more milk if they feel more comfortable—"Christie estimates his cows' milk production has increased 10 percent since he installed the waterbeds." Watching TV helps the cows get used to different kinds of voices, which prevents them from getting as nervous when they have to hear the different voice of people who visit the barn. Christie isn't the only farmer using this method to increase his milk production—the idea to use waterbeds on dairy farms originated in Europe more than a decade ago.
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4 Comments:
IOWA, not Idaho. One's midwest, the other's Pacific Northwest. In Idaho, we have great potatoes and trout. In Iowa, there's corn.
Kimberlee at 2:12PM on 05/26/08
@Kimberlee: Thanks for the heads up - the entry has been corrected!
Raphael at 2:32PM on 05/26/08
I think they also mixed a Gurnsey with a Holstein, called it a Goldstein and instead of saying 'mooo" it says "nu?".
bessfour at 3:11PM on 05/26/08
Uh, why don't they just put the cows on pasture instead of installing waterbeds and TVs? I don't get it. It's nice and all, but seems like a publicity stunt more than an effort to give your animals a good life.
jengrowsinbklyn at 12:12AM on 05/27/08