Want More Milk? Name The Cow...!

This story just shows how naming the animals around us can be more satisfying both to the animal and beneficial to us humans. I reckon every farm that was dependent on a milk cow already knew this.

My Aunt Blanche had a cow that came when she was called by name. The cow was almost treated like a member of the family and was even sang to while being milked. It was soothing to her, I reckon.

Cows With Names Produce More Milk

Dairy farmers could potentially increase their incomes with one simple but weird trick—give their cows names. A scientific study published in Anthrozoos suggested that cows with names produce more milk than their nameless counterparts.

This bizarre study was conducted by Drs. Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson of Newcastle University, and it involved over 500 dairy farmers from the United Kingdom.

On average, cows produce 7,500 liters (2,000 gal) of milk over a period of 10 months. But Douglas and Rowlinson discovered that cows with names produced 260 liters (70 gal) more.

Many dairy farmers have long suspected that giving their cattle some “one-to-one attention” increases milk production, but this research was the first that tried to prove it scientifically. According to the study, cows that are herded as a group also produce less milk.

Doubting these facts? Speak your pet's name and watch their reaction. They can recognise it, even if spoken quietly. Animals respond favorably when treated kindly as do most people, ya know?

Coffee out on the patio again this morning!