Do Cows Get Lonely?

14 July 2011, 10:34 | Updated: 14 July 2011, 11:02

Research is being carried out to find out if cows get lonely.

It's being done at Moulton College, Northampton.  Results suggest lonely cows produce less milk.

"We know when regrouping cows, when we mix them up and transfer them, milk yield can drop for two weeks which shows they are in a stressful situation at that moment in time," said researcher Krista McLennan.

With the dairy industry currently under pressure, Krista reckons her results could be useful.

"Anybody that drinks milk or has ice cream is taking part in the dairy industry.  Anything we can do to improve welfare and also improve the farmers' industry, and keep hold of our dairy farmers is really important."