Music to the bovines' ears helps milk production
"When one boy was here milking, he changed (the station) to rock. The cows were ready to go through their stanchions."
--Marlys Hogenkamp
'Soothing' music provides relaxation, distraction during milking
SHELL ROCK, Iowa (AP)--If the Dixie Chicks aren't on the radio, Marlys Hogenkamp's cows get a little agitated.
And if cows are upset, dairy experts say they won't eat as well resulting in lower milk production. Hogenkamp knows the record-high milk prices the family is enjoying won't last forever, so country music is always twanging from the speakers.
"When one boy was here milking, he changed (the station) to rock. The cows were ready to go through their stanchions," Hogenkamp said.
"I think it helps," she said, referring to country music being more soothing than other types of music. "Some cows won't even come in the barn if the music isn't on."
Dairy experts say cows are creatures of habit and thrive in low-stress environments. If cows are happy and comfortable, they will eat better. Nutrient intake is directly linked to milk production.
Iowa State University Extension dairy specialist Dale Thoreson said it takes about 1 pound of dry matter--silage, minerals, hay, etc.--to produce 2 pounds of milk. Holsteins, the most popular milking breed, normally eat between 40 and 45 pounds of dry matter a day.
One pound of dry matter costs farmers about 6 or 7 cents, Thoreson said. By getting cows to eat more, they would more than double their investment.
"Farmers will almost always make money on that. If cows are more content and relaxed, they eat better," Thoreson said.
Music is just one way to ease bovine stress. According to a study by the University of Leicester in Great Britain, milk production increased by 3 percent a day when slow or classical music, such as Beethoven, was played. After subtracting the extra feed and the cost to power a radio, the return is significant.
Thoreson said the study from Great Britain is credible, though farmers don't necessarily have to run out and buy the Pastoral Symphony on CD. He said cows thrive on routine and don't like loud noises. If they're used to softer country music that doesn't tend of have loud, crashing beats like hard rock music, for example, that works, too.
Music also keeps cows from noticing strangers coming into the barn or other distracting noises, experts said.
"Sudden or loud noises causes stress, and the response is less blood to the mammary glands. That means less milk," said Howard Tyler, ISU Extension dairy science professor.
That also means less money. Northeast Iowa dairy farmers, depending on premiums or discounts, are earning a profitable $20 per hundred weight. Break-even for most area producers is $10 to $14, experts believe.
However, farmers say milk prices will be heading south soon since cheese prices have already started to drop. After two years of unprofitable prices, dairy experts said there are several no- or low-cost ways farmers can boost their bottom line.
One is installing extra fluorescent lights in the milking parlor or barn. Studies show production could increase by 9 percent.
Providing a clean, smooth feeding area--such as installing hard plastic on the bottom of feed bunks--has also proved effective.Designing feeding systems that encourages cows to eat with their head down or in the grazing position will encourage them to eat more.
Each can improve milk production by 1 percent, Thoreson said.
Date: 8/3/04
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