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Daisy beats ?Cow 476'

Newcastle University researchers have answered that age-old question: do happier cows produce more milk? The answer, apparently, is yes.

Cattle that are treated with a “more personal touch”, including giving them names, can increase milk yields by up to 500 pints a year.

The study involved 516 farmers across the UK, and found that farmers who named their cows gained a higher yield than the 54% that did not.

Dr Catherine Douglas, who led the research, said: “What our study shows is what many good, caring farmers have long since believed. Our data suggests that, on the whole, UK dairy farmers regard their cows as intelligent beings capable of experiencing a range of emotions.

“Placing more importance on knowing the individual animals and calling them by name can, at no extra cost to the farmer, also significantly increase milk production.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .