Upmarket grocer Waitrose is lifting the moo-d of its dairy herd by giving cows the freedom to choose to stay indoors or go outside.
In a farming first, its open door policy will allow animals to graze in meadows and fields or take shelter if they want.
It will give the “latchkey” cows a minimum of six months in the fresh air in a move said to improve their wellbeing.
Around a fifth of the UK’s dairy herd are “housed” all year long but Waitrose will be giving its herd at least six hours a day outdoors for fun in the sun as gates are left open for them to “do as they please”.
And it is improving udder areas for its herd with farmers playing classical music From Moo-zart and Tchai-cow-sky to Beet-hoof-ven to help the milk flow.
Waitrose diary farmers have also been laying artificial turf from Premiership training grounds on walkways so the cows don’t damage their hooves when being transferred from field to field.
Milk producer Andrew Booth, director of the Waitrose Dairy Group said: “Like us, cows are sentient beings that like to exercise freedom of choice.
“To decide whether to be inside or outside, to lie in the sun or to take shelter from the rain. Giving them that choice and enabling them to demonstrate and articulate their natural behaviours whenever and wherever possible is fundamental to ensuring they live happy and enriching lives.”
Jake Pickering, senior agriculture manager at Waitrose, added: “We strongly believe that our dairy cows should spend the maximum amount of time possible grazing in fields because it’s natural, healthy and a key factor in ensuring they live a happy life.
“The move to a free range certification for our dairy cows will help ensure whenever possible that our cows go outside and for a minimum of six hours a day, something we know will give shoppers who care about welfare standards real confidence.”
