I have called you by name

As scientists and farmers try to breed cows with an ever greater yield of milk, one recent study suggests that yields can be increased by a very different strategy. Call them by name.

Cows have been in the news a lot lately. We are aware of their very considerable contribution to climate change through belching methane. We are also concerned about the inefficiency of using precious grain in the rearing of animals generally.

For many years, the principal concern of farmers has been to increase milk yield and so make an accceptable return on their investment. This has led to feeding concentrate in addition to grass and also to breeding cows with an ever greater milk potential.

Scientists at Newcastle University recently studied the yields of cows from 516 dairy farms and came up with the amazing conclusion that cows with names yield on average 454 pints more  per ten month lactation than cows without names.

How could this be so? Nearly half the farmers in the sample agreed that postive human contact was more likely to produce cows with a good ‘milking temperament’ - which I guess can be interpreted to say that naming is part of caring and that a cow can sense when it is being cared for.

Not surprising really, but a very different approach to cloning or special feeds.

You can read more about the report here

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