A family of farmers in the UK has launched a unique wellness service that allows visitors to hug cows to relieve stress. Farm owners and their clients claim that 'cow hugs' help reduce anxiety and promote calmness.
A family dairy farm operating in East Yorkshire since the 1970s has faced serious difficulties due to prolonged flooding, reports The Guardian. The farm owners were forced to give up their dairy herd and decided to switch to a conservation grazing program involving the breeding of Highland cattle. Most of the dairy cows had to be sold, but the farmers could not part with five of them.
To secure funds for the care of these animals, they developed an unusual service that allows anyone interested to spend time with the cows, lie down with them, pet them, and even hug them.
The farmers took about five months to find an approach to the cows, learn to calm them (by reorganizing their feeding), and get the animals accustomed to the touch of strangers.
According to reports, a visit to the farm lasts about three hours and costs £50. The program includes a tour of the farm, the opportunity to care for calves and walk them on a leash, as well as spending time in tactile contact with the cows. The publication states that the service is in high demand.
Visitors, including people with autism, note that this service helps them cope with stress and anxiety. When asked if the animals enjoy it, the farmers confidently respond that the cows are happy with their lives. “They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t like it. They enjoy the attention,” quotes the publication the words of farm owner Fiona Wilson.
