Northern Ireland-based Brian Scott from Scott’s On-farm Services was showing an unusual cow pacifier on his stand at the Livestock Event 2014 .

Developed in South Africa eight years ago and widely used in New Zealand and Australia, it uses low-level electric pulses to calm distressed dairy cows and sucklers.

If you put your hand on it, you get a small charge about a tenth of the intensity of an electric fencer.

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The unit is put into the cow’s rectum, allowing the pulses to pass through the femoral nerves and temporarily override that part of the cow’s own nervous system.

A dial alters the frequency of the pulses and it typically takes two to four days to train the cow.

It reduces stress levels in the cow or heifer markedly, says Mr Scott, encourages milk let-down, and makes life safer for the cowman.

More than 250 have been sold in Ireland and a first batch of 20 has been sold in Scotland. Cost is £625.