KEY POINTS:
A British study which says cows with names such as Daisy, Gertrude or Buttercup are likely to produce more milk than their nameless sisters has divided opinion in the local dairy industry.
Cattle who are given "the personal touch" can produce up to 284 litres of milk more a year, said experts at Newcastle University in England.
"Just as people respond better to the personal touch, cows also feel happier and more relaxed if they are given a bit more one-to-one attention," said Catherine Douglas, who conducted the research.
"By placing more importance on the individual, such as calling a cow by her name or interacting with the animal more as it grows up, we not only improve the animal's welfare and her perception of humans, but also increase milk production."
Almost half the farmers surveyed - 46 per cent - said their cows had individual names. Putaruru dairy farmer Martin Bennett said he did not know each of his 400 cows' names but believed the theory that named cows were better producers was true.
He said it made sense to lots of farmers who named their cows as their herds were far more likely to produce better quality milk.
"The majority of cows that are named tend to be good-natured but also tend to be good producers."
Environment Waikato chairman and Te Kauwhata dairy farmer Peter Buckley agreed there was "probably some truth" in the naming theory.
He knows at least a dozen of his 200 cows well and has named two of them "Rainbow" and "Smash".
"I once had a Friesian called '55', she lived until she was 23 and consistently produced 400kg of fat," he said.
But Dairy Women's Network general manager Lynda Clark
said the cows in question were probably from smaller herds which were likely to be less stressed and have more individual treatment and attention.
The study was compiled by Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and published in the online journal Anthrozoos.
