I recently was intrigued by an article in a popular magazine that stated that television programs are being created for dogs to watch. There is a digital channel just for canine viewers (with a monthly subscription fee). It features videos to stimulate dogs when they are home alone and help them to relax and ease their separation anxiety. This brought the thought to mind --- should dairy farmers provide big screen television sets for their cows to watch? Would it make them happier? Could it encourage them to give more milk? It would certainly prove to consumers and animal rights activists that dairy farmers will go to great lengths to keep their cows happy and content!

Just think how relaxing it would be for dairy cows to watch a program showing other dairy cows in a lush, green pasture with a sparkling, bubbling brook running through, huge shade trees to rest under and no fences in sight. How about a program showing the cows at World Dairy Expo as they are bathed every day, their hair styled, given pedicures, being massaged and allowed to relax in deep comfortable beds as people walk by and admire them. They are paraded before people from all over the world to show how beautiful cows can be.

As I scrolled through the many programs available on my TV, I found several that could be adapted for dairy cows to enjoy. Instead of “Rock Stars” it could be “Bovine Stars” featuring pictures of the most popular bulls in each breed or the young “hot ones” coming on. Instead of a movie called “Magic Mike” it could be “Bewitching Bulls”. Perhaps it would stimulate reproduction! A program called “Blue Bloods” could show pictures of their ancestors, history of each breed, and show the countries that cows originally came from. “The Majestic Life of the Queen” would feature Roxy and the outstanding “queens” of each breed, their families and contributions to the breed. “The Young and The Restless” could be about the upcoming young heifers and calves who will be the future of the breed. “House Hunters” would feature the various types of barns and housing available for dairy cows. Instead of “Keeping up With The Kardashians” there could be videos of “Keeping up With The Steiners at Pine-Tree” or “Keeping up With Top Breeders” in all breeds and showing how their herds are managed and cared for. A “Modern Family” program could demonstrate how robotic milkers work and how feeding is done by computers. Cows who haven’t yet experienced those modern improvements could watch the video and perhaps be able to adjust quicker and easier when it happens to them! Instead of “Walker, Texas Ranger” it could be “Garrison, Dairy Vet” or “”L’Amoreaux, Lady Vet”, showing the cows that veterinarians are good people who care about them and just want to keep them healthy. The many types of feed and roughage available for cows could be the subject on “The Chew”.

There are “Sports Programs” that could be done for cows. There is World Dairy Expo, The All-American, North American International Livestock Exposition, State Fair Dairy Shows, District Breed Shows and local county fairs. They could also watch rodeo bull riding for a look at a different type of event and a different type of bulls. There just seems to me to be many ideas for television programs that the cows could watch and enjoy.

Perhaps while just laying around chewing their cuds, watching their television programs, and being more relaxed, content and happy their production would increase. You would have to be careful and