Why do cows wear a bell?

If there is one image that is iconic to peaceful, rural life on a farm, it is that of a cow serenely walking around a pasture, with a cowbell gently tolling.

But do you ever wonder why cows wear bells in the first place? And the more you think about it the stranger it seems.

What’s the purpose? When did the practice start? Why do cows need to wear bells?

Cows wear bells so that farmers can remain aware of their location. Distant cows will be easier to locate since bells can be heard from a great distance. Bells also help ensure that a lost cow will be found.

Though it may seem a little strange, the practice of placing a bell around a cow’s neck is a practice stretching back hundreds of years, and there are good reasons for it.

In the rest of this article, we will discuss the purpose of cowbells, and what benefits they provide to farmers. Keep reading to learn more.

What Are the Benefits of Cow Bells for Farmers?

Cow bells are a common sight in many rural areas, and they play an important role in helping farmers keep track of their herds.

Cowbells, or more generically “livestock bells” have a distinct sound that is easily heard from a distance, making it easy for farmers to hear the location of a cow or herd as they move around the pasture.

Additionally, the clanking of bells signifies that a cow or herd is on the move, or active.

If a farmer cannot hear the bells at all, it tells him in an instant that the herd is at rest or too far away to be heard!

In this way, cowbells help cattle ranchers to more effectively manage their herds, keeping them safe and healthy while allowing them to graze freely on open pastureland.

Cowbells Help People Locate Cows Quickly in Emergencies

Cowbells are one of the simplest essential tools for farmers, providing a range of benefits that help them to be more productive, safe and efficient.

As mentioned, cowbells help farmers keep track of their animals during their day-to-day movements and routines, but they are also critical for locating cows quickly in emergency situations.

Bad weather, predators and other threats might see cows scatter, cross fences or generally become lost.

In this situation, cowbells will help searchers locate the cows with far greater reliability, especially in conditions of low visibility.

This is especially useful when trying to track down small groups or scattered individuals.

This reason is primarily why every, or at least most, cows in a herd get a bell instead of relying on only one or two to keep tabs on the herd as a whole.

Additionally, and of far greater importance for human safety, bells also help protect farmers and other pedestrians from being injured by approaching or charging cows.

In this case, bells serve as an early warning system for people working in close proximity to the animals, alerting them of the approach of a cow so that they can take needed action.

It seems a bit silly: how can you miss a cow? They are pretty huge!

But they don’t make much noise when walking around, and farmhands are often distracted by their chores.

Furthermore, cows, though often thought of as gentle or even lazy, may still act aggressively if they feel threatened, are hurt, startled or are protecting young.

The loud, rapid clanging of the bell when the cow is galloping can warn someone who is distracted and perhaps give them time to get out of the way or get to safety.

Consider that adult cows often weigh in excess of a thousand pounds, and can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour when running. Believe me; you don’t want to get hit by one!

The Art of Making Cattle Bells

What Materials Are Cowbells Made From?

Cowbells are made from a variety of different materials, depending on their size and function. Most commonly they are made from some kind of metal and hung from a cloth or leather collar.

Smaller cowbells might be made from thin sheets of brass, while larger cowbells might be crafted from bronze, sturdy steel or aluminum alloy.

Overall, the materials used in making cowbells help to determine not only their tone, but also their durability and resilience to all kinds of weather conditions and rough handling.

Study shows cows bothered by bells

Are Cowbells Harmful to Cows?

The continued use of cowbells is a contentious topic.

The weight and bulk of a cowbell is thought to cause aggravation to the cows that wear them, and the tolling of larger bells can exceed 110 decibels in volume- that is louder than a jackhammer!

Understandably, people are worried about the well-being of the cows, and there have been reports that the bovines are initially quite disturbed by the presence of the bell.

Today, cowbells are still a common sight on farms, but there is some serious debate about whether or not they are harmful to cows.

Some argue that the constant jingling of the bell leads to pain, depression and certain hearing loss.

Others maintain that cowbells do not significantly affect cows’ stress levels and that the benefits of using them for safety and management outweigh any potential risks.

The results are somewhat inconclusive and ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use cowbells is up to individual farmers.

When Did the Practice of Putting Cow Bells Around Cows Necks Start?

The origins of the cowbell are shrouded in history, but there is some evidence of when the practice started.

In East Asia, suspected livestock bells made from pottery have been excavated and dated back to the 3rd millennium BC.

In the West, the earliest example of the cowbell has been traced to Britain between the 7th and 9th centuries AD.

It is probable that these bells were used for much the same practical reasons that we still use them today.

Cowbells have also played important cultural or spiritual roles in various cultures (and not just as a whimsical instrument for humans).

In some ancient cultures, the bell was thought to ward off evil spirits or people with evil intentions like cattle rustlers.

Even today, cowbells are still an important part of Swiss and other European cultures, and they can often be seen hanging around cows’ necks in mountain pastures.

In Swiss folklore, there is a tale of a young cowherd who ventures into a mountain and is offered by a beautiful fairy the choice of owning a treasure trove of gold coins, a huge golden cowbell, or the beautiful fairy herself. He opted for the cowbell!

Although the exact origins of the cowbell are a little murky, it is clear that it has been an important part of practical animal husbandry and folklore for many ages.

The Last of Switzerland’s Cowbell Makers

Cowbells Are an Iconic and Useful Tradition

Cowbells are an iconic and useful tradition that has been used by farmers for centuries to keep track of their animals.

The ringing of the bell alerts farmers to the location of their cows, making it easier to locate them or round them up at the end of the day.

Although there is some debate about whether or not cowbells are harmful to cows, most farmers adamantly believe that the benefits of using them outweigh any potential risks.

In short, it is clear that cow bells are an indispensable yet traditional tool for managing cows on a farm.

Tom has built and remodeled homes, generated his own electricity, grown his own food and more, all in quest of remaining as independent of society as possible. Now he shares his experiences and hard-earned lessons with readers around the country.

When you already visited Switzerland and went up in the mountains, you probably heard the sound of the bells. The classic sound reverberates through the Swiss meadows. The Swiss cows in the alps wear bells, but why do they wear these bells? This is a question we quite often get. In this blog post, we will explain why Swiss cows wear bells!

The sound of the bells, unless you are close to a church is probably from the grazing cows in the Swiss Alps. The classical sound is a sign of the presence of the animals grazing. If you see a cow in the countryside, they usually wear a shiny, sounding bell around their neck. Which you can see in the image below.

Swiss cows in Uri, Stäuber waterfall

Why do the Swiss cows wear a cow bell?

The system of cows wearing bells is dating centuries back. The bell is attached with a belt to the neck of the cow. The main function was for a shepherd to keep track of where their cattle is located. Most of the time the cows are grazing in a group, in this way they produce a significant volume of sound. The method was intentionally used for the shepherds to locate their cows. Who were grazing in the open hilly areas and even on the mountains. These areas are full of rocks and little hills, where it is not easy to find a missing cow. The low ringing of the bells resonates throughout the mountainous alpine valleys, where the views can be obstructed. You can probably imagine, nowadays the farmers and shepherds use electronic tags and systems with GPS to locate missing cows.

The tradition of the cowbells

Besides the functional part of the cows wearing cowbells. There is a tradition with these cows wearing bells. When the spring season starts in Switzerland, the snow starts to melt. The cows wearing cowbells are then sent to the higher located alpine locations. Here they can graze. When summer is over, the cow’s descent back to the valleys, heading to the villages. This is celebrated by the cows being adorned with floral garlands, woven on their horns.

Checkout our Switzerland travel guide!

Prepare yourself for your next visit to Switzerland

Swiss cow parade, a true swiss tradition!

One other reason why the cows wear bells is that the swiss have a cultural tradition around the cows. One example, which is well-known is the annual Almabtrieb(cows returning to the villages/barns) Festival in Switzerland. These annual celebrations mark the end of the summer season. Then the cows are decorated with religious symbols and beautiful large bells, they are then led to the barns where they spend the winter season.

When the alpine farmers leave the alpine pastures, the tradition starts. In many villages, this tradition is yearly held. Autumn in Switzerland starts with the Swiss cow parade. Over 350.000 cows are coming down from the mountains to the valleys. The swiss cows have spent the summer season high up grazing in the swiss mountains. They spent the winter months in the valleys. Farmers come down with their cattle and are welcomed with great celebrations! The cows have floral crowns and wear a beautifully decorated bell around their neck.

These kinds of alpine traditions are really interesting. These kinds of celebrations or ceremonies are known as Alpabzug, Alpabfahrt or the Desalpe. This is one of the cultural rites that mark the seasons in Switzerland and their deeply rooted agricultural traditions.

The Swiss people originate from different cultures, speaking over four languages(German, French, Italian and Romansh) and innumerable dialects. Which makes these festivals intriguing. The villages which are cut off during the winter season – due to a large amount of snow – created their own unique traditions, which are still alive to this day.

The swiss have this idea, of the fact that in this fast-paced world, these kind of cultural traditions only survive if they are celebrated every year!

The cow parade in Urnäsch

After asking several people, we came to the conclusion, that a popular cow parade is in Urnäsch. This place is many times recommended as the best place to go for the best market, atmosphere and the best festive mood! Let’s talk a bit more about the cow parade in Urnäsch in 2022!

Not only the cows are decorated…

The cow parade is held in 2022, on the 17th of September. The cow parade comes with a market in Urnäsch, with over 50 stands it has much to entertain you and your family. Lovely local drinks and food, games many animals of course. There are musicians everywhere. The musical entertainment is provided by the Buebechorli choir, so lovely.

In the morning the cows are descending to the village of Urnäsch, this will happen approximately from 10 am in the morning till 1 pm. The market which we talked about, is located central to the Kronenplatz, here you can view the cows and hear them as well! We can highly recommend visiting the Urnäsch cow parade, it is such a beautiful parade, with wonderfully decorated cows/bells and the atmosphere is amazing.

Conclusion

In this blog, we answered why the swiss cows wear bells around their neck. One of the reasons is the historic function for the shepherd to locate their cattle, because of the hills and mountainous landscape these animals graze and live on. Another reason is the tradition. Every year a swiss cow parade is held in many alpine villages, in specific we inform you about the Urnäsch cow parade, which is recommended as one of the best cow parades in Appenzell. We hope you now understand why the Swiss cows wear bells a bit better, if you have any questions leave a comment below!

For more information about the event in September 2022 visit this website, by clicking here. Check the website of the tourist information centre before you will visit the parade, as due to covid there may be changes.