MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food has used a virtual reality glasses model to calm cows and help them produce more milk, a move that may seem funny but based on research by Russian experts.
Stressed cows produce a small amount of milk and have less appetite compared to when they are calm and relaxed. Farmers around the world rest their cows with mattresses and classical music.
On a farm near the Russian capital Moscow, cows are wearing virtual reality glasses to show a specially designed pasture scene in shades of red, green and blue, because cows only see these shades of color, in order to determine if the pasture landscape has changed the mood of the cows.
During the first test of cows watching VR simulation, the researchers observed that there was a decrease in anxiety and an increase in the good mood of the herd.
The impact on milk production by dairy cows wearing the prototype of VR glasses will be detailed in a future comprehensive study.