[Video] Swiss cows frolic as they are let out for springtime
By Jan de Boer
With the flowers blooming and the subtle beckoning of Easter getting louder and louder, the last week has seen the return of a moo-ving tradition in Switzerland. Thanks to the warmer weather, Swiss cows have been let out for the first time since the winter - and no one is happier than they are to get out onto the grass!
Swiss cows joyously return to the fields for spring
As Dinner for One so aptly puts it: “Same procedure this year, same procedure every year,” so too when Swiss cows are let out to pasture for the spring. After months of being cooped up in barns over winter, the cows are typically let out at the beginning of April.
In recent years, the moment of elation from the cows has been captured by local farmers. The most prominent example is farmer Christian Tüscher from Ziegel, Canton Bern. Though he has been posting photos and videos on the internet for years - in a bid to educate the public about life on an organic farm - in 2023 he noticed that his posts of frolicking spring cows were getting a great response from the public, so turned them into an annual event.
“No matter how crazy the world situation is, one thing will remain the same in 2025: the joy of our cows on their first grazing,” Tüscher wrote in his latest post:
Why are the cows so happy?
Speaking to Watson back in 2024, Tüscher confirmed that the cows are genuinely very happy when they are let out for spring, though he is unsure why. On organic farms like his, Swiss cows are allowed to go out to a paved forecourt during the winter. However, the arrival of spring is the first time the cows return to the field since the autumn, as there is enough grass to graze and the pasture is solid enough to take their weight.
“As soon as it gets warmer, you notice how the animals in the stable become restless… they probably also feel spring fever and are happy that they can go out into the meadow again,” he theorised.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more