For the first time this year, the cows of farmer Stefan Mul from Fluitenberg were allowed to go out into the meadow again. Dozens of people have come to his farm to witness the first grazing after winter.
Half an hour before the 75 cows are allowed to go outside, they are still unsuspectingly grazing hay in the barn of Hoeve Sonneclaer. But according to farmer Mul, they realize soon enough when it’s almost time to go into the meadow.
“Often when we are working on the wires, they get something,” says Mul, while visitors slowly trickle into the barn. “More and more people are now also coming, so who knows, they may already be aware of it.”
According to farmer Mul, it is clearly visible that the cows have missed the outdoors. As soon as they are allowed to enter the pasture, they get a little crazy. “They are just like children who are allowed to play outside. They run around, bump into each other or dig their heads into the ground,” laughs Mul.
Then it’s time to open the gate. Mul lets his cows out under the watchful eye of families with children in particular. The first steps somewhat carefully on the paving stones just outside the stable. But as soon as they see the meadow in front of them, it is crowded. At full gallop, the 75 spotted and brown cows rumble around the bend, over the motorway and towards the fresh grass.
Dozens of people on the side of the pasture laugh while the cows make the craziest jumps in the pasture. Farmer Mul can only enjoy the first pasture for a short time, because a number of cows are so enthusiastic that they break through the fence and end up in the wrong pasture.
Mul has to work hard and starts a sprint to prevent the cows from straying even further. With joint efforts, he and his colleagues get all the cows back on the right side of the fence wire in a matter of minutes. The cows pretend nothing happened, put their noses in the grass and quietly start grazing.