Rock On: Classical Music a Favorite Among Dairy Cows

Ever find that listening to some of your favorite jams tends to help you be more productive during your work day?

Turns out, you are not the only one who can get into a steady groove listening to your favorite playlist. Some dairy cows also tend to be more productive – by producing more milk when stimulated by the sounds of certain types of music, according to research.

Some dairy farmers have long observed that music impacts the mood, and in turn the milk production, of their herd. A few years ago, researchers found that many cows tend to produce more milk when certain types of music is played – particularly classical music from the likes of Beethoven of Mozart. According to the findings, the music keeps the cows calm by drowning out background noise from the farm.

While playing music for their cows isn’t a typical practice by many, some farmers have not taken these results lightly, installing high-priced music systems in the barn to keep their cows soothed and relaxed.

Just last year, more than 1,000 entries were received in a song contest judged by cows that allowed people to create their own musical mashup. Finalists were narrowed down by voting and the winner chosen by the cows themselves based on the amount of milk produced while the songs were played.