7:20am Wednesday 25th November 2009
By Rene Gerryts
MOOVE over Beethoven – cows at a Beaminster dairy farm prefer the songs of the X-Factor stars John and Edward to the classics.
Milk production has increased since the cattle were introduced to the duo’s music, according to herdsmen Jozef Andrezejk and Tomas Piotr.
Until now the farm has followed the conventional wisdom of playing soothing music – like Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony – to keep their animals contented and boost milk yields.
“We always have music playing in the yard and you can hear it in all the feeding areas, barns and milking parlour,” said Jozef.
“We were told that classical music is likely to produce a higher milk yield but we haven’t noticed much difference.”
However, when a clip of Jedward singing the Queen anthem We Will Rock You from The X-Factor was played on a news bulletin, the cows really seemed to enjoy it. They then downloaded the music onto an iPod and played it through speakers in the dairy.
Tomas said they had been voting for John and Edward, the Irish twins – dubbed Jedward – who won praise from the judges for the improvement in their singing on the ITV talent show after performing Queen’s Under Pressure, before finally being voted off by the public.
“When our cows are happy cows then so are we. So we voted for Jedward for the sake of our herd,” said Tomas.
“We have also downloaded the X Factor charity single performed by all the finalists and are now playing it to the herd.
Mike Pullin, from the Ashley Chase Estate, a local cheese maker who is on the receiving end of the herd’s milk backed Jozef and Tomas with their gamble – although he had his reservations.
He said: “Personally, I would have thought that the sound of the twins’ singing would have made the milk curdle but as far as we can tell the supply has been as good as it has ever been!”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk