Dairy cows produce more milk when listening to
relaxing music, say researchers. They believe
farmers could get an extra pint from their charges
by playing classical music or smoochy numbers
in the cowshed.
Top
hits with cows
Everybody Hurts, REM
What a difference a day makes, Aretha Franklin
Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water
Danny Williams, Moon River
Lou Reed, Perfect Day
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony
Psychologists at the University of Leicester,
UK, played music of different tempos to herds
of Friesian cattle.
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony and Simon &
Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water were a
big hit in the milking shed. But when rowdy numbers,
like Mud's Tigerfeet and Size of a Cow by Wonderstuff,
were played, there was no increase in milk yield.
"Calming
music can improve milk yield, probably because
it reduces stress," said Dr Adrian North,
who carried out the study with colleague Liam
MacKenzie.
Some farmers already play music to chickens, as
there is anecdotal evidence that it reduces stress.
"A lot of farmers seem to think it works,"
Dr North told BBC News Online. "In essence,
we're following their lead."
Stress
relief
The study was carried out at LCAH Dairies in Lincolnshire
and Bishop Burton Agricultural College in Humberside.
One-thousand-strong herds of Friesian cattle were
exposed to fast, slow and no music for 12 hours
a day, from 5am to 5pm, over the course of nine
weeks.
Low in the cow hit parade
Jamiroquai, Space Cowboy
Supergrass, Pumping on your Stereo
Wonderstuff, Size of a Cow
Mud, Tigerfeet
Mousse T vs. Hot N Juicy, Horny
The researchers found that each cow's milk yield
rose by 3% (0.73 litres [1.54 pints]) a day when
slow music, rather than fast music, was played.
The work adds to evidence that calming music reduces
stress in animals, as well as people.
"Most theories of music preferences are based
on humans," said Liam MacKenzie.
"We found that slow music improved milk yields
perhaps because it relaxes the cows in much the
same way as it relaxes humans."
The pair is now seeking further funding to see
whether music can help other animals.