IT’S A moooooving experience – but one that cattle can’t get seem to get enough of. And who can blame them?

They may make the milking parlour look like a beauty parlour but, says Bob Ellis of manufacturer DeLaval, these rotating cow-brushes are a vital animal welfare tool for caring dairy farmers.

“The brushes can either swing or be static,” he says.

“The cattle enjoy using them because it’s like having a grooming session, like having their backs scratched, which is something they really enjoy.”

As the brushes swing, cattle need no encouragement to allow the session to continue, he says.

“It removes mites and other insects and helps with their circulation, which is all beneficial to their health.”

And research shows a slight increase in milk production from cattle that regularly use them, he added.

Cattle Top 10

1 An Udder One Bites the Dust

2 Steak Rattle and Roll

3 At the Cow Wash

4 Thank You for the Moosic

5 Herd it Through the Grapevine

6 Friesian Jolly Good Fellow

7 I Am the Moosic Man

8 Calf a Sixpence

9 Cow Deep is Your Love

10 Cattle Be the Day

“Really, they are a lovely treatment for the cattle,” he says.

“You can brush them by hand but for some reason they seem to enjoy this even more – they’ll even try and play with them.”

The brushes also have a financial benefit. “Cattle love to rub up against trees and buildings or machinery or structures which can occasionally cause damage,” he says.

“They seem less keen to bother with that when they’ve got these.”

Dorset farmers are apparently keen to experience the benefits of the cow brushes but they are already a big hit on one very famous farm – Worthy Farm at Pilton, home of the Glastonbury Festival.

When he’s not rocking the district, owner Michael Eavis is tending his 320-strong dairy herd.

“Cows like to have fun too!” he says. “When they introduced the swinging cow brushes we discovered that they really enjoy the stimulation, treating the brushes like toys.”