Small dairy farmers (me included) love to dote on their darlings.
We pet ’em. We hug ’em. We may even adorn them in flowers to show our girls how much we appreciate their marvelous milk …
… and (generally) gentle dispositions.
Photo by Lene, also called Manisha via Wikimedia Commons
But, the same can’t always be said for larger dairy operations, where cows are often akin to assembly-line employees, and working conditions can be, let’s just say, less than cozy.
Therefore, the last thing anyone would expect to see in a large commercial dairy barn is cows lounging on waterbeds.
“Waterbeds?!”
“MJ is trying her hand at comedy again.”
Nope—not this time.
I dare say I’d never dreamed of such a thing. As far as I knew, the waterbed craze fizzled out somewhere in the ’80s, and I wasn’t sorry to see it go (that fad fell under the category of “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should“). Ever try to get out of a waterbed when you’re eight months pregnant?
Yet, much to my astonishment, waterbeds are making a comeback,
finding a new niche under the hocks (and hooves) of dairy cattle,
replacing sawdust bedding and stall mats with the ultimate in indoor cow comfort.
Still don’t believe me? Watch this:
