One of the moo-st pressing issues farmers face in the winter is protecting their calves from frostbite. Auteri, Steph. “A Farmer Invented ‘calf Earmuffs’ to Keep Newborn Calves Warm and the Photos Are Adorable.” Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/farmer-invented-calf-earmuffs-to-keep-newborn-calves-warm-2019-7. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021. Ewerswent to the nearest craft shop and found the nylon material, which will shed water and helped give the Moo Muffs a better shape. She and Poad experimented with fit; Poad would try the first versions on her calves and suggest modifications. The calf was only 2 days old, still unsteady on his feet. Even so, he was solidly in the target market that farmer Poad, 33, and her seamstress aunt, Kim Ewers, 56, had in mind when they designed Moo Muffs. Except for the newborns, who need special protection. The first winter after the fire, Poad got by with keeping close tabs on her calves, making sure they had plenty of bedding and hoping for the best. Some of their ears, she said, "got a little nipped" by frostbite.

She bought a pair of cow earmuffs, but to save money, she asked her aunt Kim Ewers if she could make others. It got so Ewers couldn't keep up, even though, when she's on a roll, she can sew up a pair of Moo Muffs in about 20 minutes. The two women hired some other sewers to help produce more Moo Muffs. The first pair of Moo Muffs were made in February 2018. After our family barn burned down in 2016, we had to come up with an innovative way to keep our calves comfortable in the winter months. And not long after, Moo Muffs were officially born! Some people in the comments even asked for a pattern so they could make a few themselves. Others jokingly asked where they could get a pair for their own pets. One commenter helpfully drew attention to a Wisconsin-based company called Moo Muffs that manufactures and distributes a water-resistant nylon and fleece version of the earmuffs worldwide. There are also independent makers on Etsy that are getting in on the trendy new farmwear. “Can’t believe they aren’t called ‘mooffs,’” Rob N Roll captioned a subsequent tweet with more photos. The family has put up temporary shelters, burly tent-like structures that work to keep equipment out of the elements. The shop was moved to property in town. And because Poad's cattle are beef cows, not a dairy herd, they can handle the weather.Poad estimates they've sold 1,000 to 1,200 Moo Muffs so far. They expect that number to grow as stores and other sales organizations have signed on to distribute the Moo Muffs, including a distributor in Japan. Moo Muffs are made of a hardy nylon material on the outside, and soft, warm fleece on the inside. They are simple, with ear coverings that look likeelongated spades and a few adjustablestraps that hold them on a calf's head. I've always likedto sew, and I've always been kind of one that if I can come up with something, I like it, you know? It's a challenge," Ewers said. It is impossible to overstate the cute factor of Moo Muffs. After all, calves are about the most lovable creatures on the planet, with their wobbly legs, big eyes and goofy noses. Add to the mix a colorful cap covering their floppy ears andyou've got a look that would tease a smile from even the crankiest of grumps.

For her part, Poad wants her show cattle to be as handsome as they can be, obviously, because their value is in their looks. But it goes deeper than that. She loves these little calves. And that kind of love is driving the business forward. Their creations became so popular that in October 2019 they began distributing in Japan. You can read more about Moo Muffs here. According to Poad, the muffs are made of fleece and lined with nylon. In a 2020 interview, she added that calves “don't even act like they know that they're on. They're not like trying to rub their head on stuff or get them off. I put them on when they're, you know, within an hour old, so they really don't even pay any attention to them."Moo Muffs are earmuffs for calves. Interest in them took off in January when a reporter for WMTV posted about them on social media. A polar vortex was plunging temperatures to their coldest in decades, and farmers across the Midwest were looking for ways to save their calves' ears from frostbite. With hundreds of people wanting to buy her product, Holly Poad knew she and her aunt couldn't keep up with demand. No people or animals were hurt in the blaze, but "you don't realize what you have until it's gone," Poad said. "Everything was lost." This is the cutest thing I've seen in a long time! They're not only functional, but they bring out their beautiful eyes too ❤️ upvotes Follow Unfollow 4 years ago (edited) Dots Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The first thing she noticed on the old muffs was that they would be useless if they got wet and frozen. It's as if all this is ready-made for the internet, and of course Moo Muffs have gone viral,especially after Poad, Ewers and Moo Muffs were featured by a Madison-based TV news station early this year. Since then, they have been spotlighted by KARE-11, a Twin Cities-based TV station; AccuWeather.com; and a variety of online and print outlets. So she recently turned manufacturing of her popular – and adorable – Moo Muffs over to professionals. Poad had experienced the same problem after her family's barn burned three years ago and the calves were out in the cold. upvotes Follow Unfollow 4 years ago Dots Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017Bultena, Kealey. “Farmers Use Custom Ear Muffs To Protect Calves From Cold.” Wisconsin Public Radio, 21 Jan. 2020, https://www.wpr.org/farmers-use-custom-ear-muffs-protect-calves-cold. They are my pets, but they are my business, too, you know?," Poad said. "Farmers want to take care of their animals. They wouldn't be in business if they didn't."