On our farm, we pride ourselves on making sure our cows are as healthy and happy as possible.
Our nature-first approach to rearing our herd means that our cows live outside 100% of the time. They are moved to new fields every day, sometimes two or three times a day, so that they only ever graze on the freshest grass, red clover and growing turnip and radish crops.
“It’s lovely to watch as they bounce through onto their next fresh bit of grazing.”
In Spring the internet is full of cows enjoying being turned out onto fresh grass after a long Winter……at our farm, our cows enjoy this every day of the year! They listen out for Alex, the cowgirl, coming to move them each morning and they all get ready to head onto the fresh field. It’s lovely to watch as they bounce through onto their next fresh bit of grazing.
But what if it gets really chilly, I hear you ask. Well, cows are pretty amazing beasts. When the temperature drops, they have their own natural heater that kicks in – as long as they have full tummies, their body generates enough heat to keep them toasty warm and comfortable.
“Yes, we even encourage our cows to eat fermented food because it is just so good for you.”
In case of snow or drought, which stops the cows from being able to properly graze, we always have a small amount of fresh grass available in the form of silage. Our silage is made by fermenting any surplus Spring grass to keep as many of the nutrients, such as sugars and proteins, as possible.
The silage not only smells delicious, it means the cows always have access to fresh, homegrown food and gives them the added benefits of eating fermented foods too. Yes, we even encourage our cows to eat fermented food because it is just so good for you. These are all simple things, but they really do make for healthier, happier cows.
