A dairy farmer who supplies cream for a festive favourite will be playing carols to his herd this Christmas as part of a sustainability drive to reduce his carbon footprint.
At other times of the year, Joe Hayden soothes his herd of 180 “Baileys Ladies” with Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and The Killers.
The Co Wicklow farmer has been supplying high-end cream to Baileys since the famous liqueur was first launched in 1974.
Following a tip handed down by his mother, he has been using music to relax his Holstein Friesians for years, but now he says he has the scientific proof it helps to produce better milk.
Dairytale of New York is Friesian fave
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Farmer plays Christmas carols for his cows to reduce carbon footprint | Ireland
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The calming technique is one of several eco-friendly practices that Mr Hayden, a married 60-year-old father of two, employs at his 360-acre farm in the Wicklow Mountains close to the village of Tinahely.
“We play music to the cows and that has been scientifically proven to help the cows to relax,” said Mr Hayden, who explains that the tunes release a hormone that lowers stress levels, leading to better milk.
“Remember, they are a very, very sensitive creature, they are a beautiful creature. I’ve been working with the dairy herd here for over 40 years and the love relationship is as strong as ever. Like any ladies in our lives – what you give, you get back twice.”
A dairy farmer who supplies cream for a festive favourite will be playing carols to his herd this Christmas as part of a sustainability drive to reduce his carbon footprint.
At other times of the year, Joe Hayden soothes his herd of 180 “Baileys Ladies” with Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and The Killers.
The Co Wicklow farmer has been supplying high-end cream to Baileys since the famous liqueur was first launched in 1974.
Following a tip handed down by his mother, he has been using music to relax his Holstein Friesians for years, but now he says he has the scientific proof it helps to produce better milk.