Sweet music for milking

Music to the ears of all dairy farmers?

By BBC News Online's Helen Briggs

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.