Cows are latest to join craze of online dating

Tim Gue, who has a herd of around 400 cows producing 20,000 pints of milk a day, has farmed at Huddlestone Farm, in Horsham Road, since 1987 and is testing online technology that helps him match his cows to the perfect bulls.

While his herd will not be logging on themselves to find themselves a partner for Valentine’s Day, he said the programme saves hours of time instead of flicking through endless catalogues to try and find the right information.

“There’s so many of them and so much information it’s impossible to use it all to come up with that perfect blend of genetics.

“It was really hard work before,” he explained.

“The programme is really easy to use. Farmers know what sort of cows suit their farm and the programme allows you to see which of a group of bulls are best suited to them.”

Each cow is given a profile page including details of their temperament, personality type, and appearance.

Farmers can then search profiles of bulls that fit the criteria to find the perfect match.

Despite challenging wet weather and soaring food prices, Mr Gue added: “They are very nice creatures and very friendly and easy to work with.

“I still get a buzz when each calf is born, that’s the driver for most people. It’s a feeling you can’t replicate anywhere else.”

The programmes are being run by Holstein UK.