YOU may have heard of walking dogs or petting llamas… but could the latest wellness trend of “cuddling cows” moo-ve its way to Jersey?
Across the UK, animal lovers are queuing up to spend hours hugging, stroking and lying with retired dairy cows, a concept that has been become popular in America over the past decade.
Now, dairy farmers in Jersey have expressed their support for the initiative, which is helping cash-strapped farms generate extra revenue with £40-a-person sessions selling out.
Becky Houzé, a dairy farmer who runs and co-owns Lodge Farm with her father, Paul Houzé, said: “It’s a great idea, if someone wants to set it up here.
“The Jersey cow is a perfect breed for it, because they’re friendly and inquisitive and they love to be handled.
“However, it’s not something we would personally set up, because we’re a working farm and already limited with capacity, staffing and for the hours of the day.
“We are a business focused on production, so we don’t have the capacity for something like this.”
She added: “You would also have to be wary of the animals’ health and safety. There are risks of people bringing diseases, the cows would need to be comfortable with people, and whoever sets it up would need to look at special insurance, if you have novices coming in and handling animals.
“That said, it could be a profitable little venture for someone in the Island.”
Zoë Marshall, who has a herd of 58 cows at Clairval Farm, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic for the older cows that would normally just be put to sleep if they weren’t economically friendly for that farm any more.
“If they can live out their days and be cuddled by humans, without causing harm to either the animals or the humans, then that’s brilliant.
“Our cows have certainly saved my life and cow therapy is fantastic.”
She added: “It could definitely work here, and would be a good business opportunity for semi-retired farmers, or for younger people studying agriculture.”
Meanwhile, Phil Le Maistre, who works as a farmer at Master Farms with his father, said that Jersey was a “limited market” and a “niche” business prospect such as cuddling cows could be difficult to get off the ground.
However, he added: “It is an interesting concept. As long as the cows are all happy with it, with welfare as a first priority, and if people can enjoy it, then it could be a good thing.”
