Music is a part of everybody’s life; we use it to express ourselves, reduce stress, and stimulate our minds. Would you ever have guessed that the same could be said for cows? The question occurred to me after seeing several posts on social media with two characteristics: a group of people playing brass instruments and a herd of cows being curious enough to approach them or even in some cases, chasing after them to enjoy the music. Like the cows, I became curious as to why they reacted with such enthusiasm and what benefits the cows got from these tunes other than just humanistic reactions.

The main reason for cows listening to music is relaxation. While the cows obviously can’t understand the lyrics being said, the melody and harmony helps to keep them calm. This relaxation has been proven to increase dairy production and the vibrations caused from the music also causes muscle relaxation.

Classical and jazz music has the highest praise among cattle. A study out of the University of Leicester in the UK found that cows prefer slow music with 100 beats per minute or less. They also found that “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel and Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” were the top songs to play for the cows. Not all music is relaxing to cows however. Upbeat music with 100+ beats per minute was proven to increase anxiety in the cows and raise stress levels. The faster the songs are, the more stressed out the cows are. 

Music is a very powerful tool that can help anyone to relax and now it is not just for people, but the animal world as well. Having the knowledge of this has greatly impacted the dairy and meat cow industry both for the farmer and the quality of life for their cattle. Next time you feel down or stressed out, just remember that if music can help a cow’s mood, it can help yours too. Don’t know what to pick? Tune into KCOU 88.1 FM Columbia, MO!