Cows are less anxious when they hear Indian music.
Researchers in India exposed dairy cows to traditional instrumental music of flutes and sitars before and during milking and found that it resulted in a “significant difference in milking time, milking speed, cortisol hormones and behavioural parameters such as milk let-down” compared to cows that weren’t played any music.
The experts at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi said that the findings “have significant implications relating to the behavioural fitness and welfare of dairy animals and reducing residual milk”.
Previous studies have revealed that music can help calm livestock but the tempo and genre is highly significant.
Researcher Dr. Sanjiv Kochewad said: “We observed that slow music in yamen raga at 40-60 decibels intensity reduces the stress and improves the behaviour of cows. All types of music will not have the same effect.”
