Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
A Russian dairy farmer has fitted cows with virtual reality headsets showing a sunny summer meadow to improve their mood and help them produce better quality milk.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture in the western Russian region of Moscow Oblast (MAMR), an unspecified farm is testing the virtual reality (VR) headsets on the livestock to help calm them down.
While designing the VR headset, experts took into account the animals’ head shape and visibility range, with cows perceiving red shades of the spectrum stronger than green and blue shades, according to local media.
During tests, specialists noted a decrease in anxiety and an increase in the herd’s overall emotional mood, however, it remains to be seen whether the VR headset will influence milk productivity.
A spokesperson for MAMR said: “Russian dairy farmers are keeping up with the world’s standards and are even glad to offer new and surprising engineering ideas.”
They explained that the emotional state of the animals affects the quality and quantity of milk they produce therefore producers all over the world are trying to make the cows’ lives “happier” and calmer.
According to reports, some Russian farmers even play classical music to their livestock to help relax them and positively influence the milk yield.
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