Name that cow
Call her Bessie. Call her Daisy. Call her Buttercup. Just call that cow something. A new study by researchers at Newcastle University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in the UK finds that cows given pet names produce more milk–up to an extra 500 pints a year–than cows that are just anonymous members of the herd
The researchers interviewed 516 dairy farmers. Forty-six percent reported that they called their cows by name. And farms with cows given pet names produced signficantly more milk per cow, according to results published in the journal Anthrozoos.
Many dairy farmers agree. “They aren’t just our livelihood,” said Dennis Gibb, one of the UK farmers involved in the study. “They’re part of the family. We love our cows here at Eachwick and every one of them has a name. Collectively we refer to them as ‘our ladies’ but we know every one of them and each one has her own personality.
Looking for cow names? At a site called Petnamezone you’ll find more than 100 suggestions. Among our favorites: Oreo and Cookies ‘n Cream.
© 2009 PDQhealth
I am wondering if [how?] it affects humans to be called by their “pet” name or nicknames. At work, my manager keeps a list of all people’s preferred names and spellings – which includes many different permutations of our full names. Since our full names are on most documents, it makes for a funny mixture of ways that you may be addressed in one meeting or phone call. This becomes more important in our virtual work world. I have only met 10% of my group face to face, but I knw them all quite well. I notice that we all like the personal touch and being showcased as individuals!
Jackie Smith
http://www.inspiredemployee.com
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