Daniel
McElmurray recently won first place in a regional
science fair for a project on how music improved
milk production in cows.
HEPHZIBAH, Georgia (AP) --Daniel
McElmurray has milked his family's dairy farm
for all it's worth.
After hearing his dad, Earl complained about weak
milk production from their 300 cows, the 10-year-old
student at Goshen Elementary in Augusta helped
solve the problem with a prize-winning science
fair project. He tested the effects of classical,
country and rock music on the cows.
Daniel said he and his dad like to listen to music
while they milk the cows, without giving the cows
much say in the selection.
Turns out rock is their least favorite. After
listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shania Twain and
a selection of classical music, the cows proved
they prefer classical to country and rock by producing
1,000 pounds more milk.
"I guess a slower beat helps them relax,"
Daniel said Thursday, after learning he won first
place in his region. He received a special award
from the American Society of Mammalogists, an
organization that supports the study of mammals.
