Study shows increased yield in cows cuddled and called by their names

CUDDLE your cow and she’ll produce more milk, say senior researchers at Newcastle University in England.

This “fact” came to light yesterday at the unveiling of the Ig Nobel prizes, a US institution that rewards “research that makes you laugh and then makes you think”.

Dr Catherine Douglas of Newcastle University accepted the comic award in good spirits. She told the world’s media: “The amusing side of the research was that giving a cow a name meant she produced more milk and there was a lot of light- hearted discussion around what the best name might be.

“Farmers who talked to and stroked or patted their cows had massive increases in milk yields.

“We showed that by giving more individual attention, such as calling a cow by her name or interacting with her more as she grows up, you can reduce the levels of stress.”

Dr Douglas and her colleague Dr Peter Rowlinson studied 516 dairy farmers in Britain and revealed that the average amount of milk produced by a cow over its annual 10-month lactation period is 13,198 pints (7,500 litres). Cows with names had an average higher milk yield of 454 pints (258 litres).

Dr Douglas studied agriculture at Newcastle University and worked as a dairy farming nutritional adviser before taking a PhD in the welfare and behaviour of cows.

Bizarrely, this year’s Ig Nobel Veterinary award makes more sense than previous farm studies. In 2007 a prize was awarded for the development of a method for extracting vanillin – an ingredient in vanilla flavouring – from cow dung.