Named Cows Give More Milk

A UK study that proves cows with names produce more milk than their nameless counterparts won the Ig Nobel Prize, an award “honoring achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.” Researchers at Newcastle University investigated how cows’ stress and fear affects their milk yields. They studied 516 UK dairy farmers and found when cows were called by their name and experienced personal attention, they had an average higher milk yield of approximately 260 liters compared to cows without names, confirming these animals obviously have feelings and are aware of their surroundings and personal care.