Naming cows isn't udder nonsense

— -- Cows that are given names produce more milk than those that are not, says a new study out of England.

The study, conducted by Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson at Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, discovered that more affectionate treatment of cattle — including giving cows names — can increase milk production by more than 68 gallons annually. An average cow produces about 2,000 gallons of milk a year.

Douglas says the positive effect of naming cows has always been a belief among farmers, but until now, there was no scientific evidence.

"I think farmers have always thought that a good relationship with cows helped, but I don't think they knew how," says Douglas, who conducted the study as a part of her Ph.D. thesis on the effects of positive treatment of cattle.

The reason behind more productive named cows is chemical, says Douglas. If a cow is not given individual attention, they may not be comfortable around humans and may become stressed. This stress releases cortisol, a hormone that inhibits milk production, she says.

Cow-friendly farmers familiarize their cows with human contact from an early age, Douglas says. "They chat to them in passing, not just roll in on a tractor every now and then," she says. "They walk amongst the cows and speak with them."

Jon Bansen, owner and operator of Double J Jerseys organic dairy farm near Portland, Ore., knows each of his 165 cows by name, a practice he said was started by his grandfather.

"You couldn't be the head milker until you could identify every cow by looks and put a name to her," he says.

Bansen, whose favorite cow names are Cinder, Ajax and Hawk, says there's no question naming a cow can increase milk production.

"A cow that is happy and calm is going to produce more milk," he says. "So if you have your cows named and the people who are working with them understand the cows and their behavior patterns better, they're going to get more milk out of them."

Many farmers have their own traditions to help their cows feel special. For Bansen, this means knowing Rosie's playfulness from Donna's hotheadedness. Michael Straus, president of organic-farming communications firm Straus Communications, says his family's farm uses music to keep their cows happy during milking.