Adele and Coldplay top the Countryside sounds of music

A new survey published today by RSPCA Freedom Food - to mark its Farm Animal Week - revealed that 77 per cent of farmers up and down the country either play music, radio, sing or chat to their animals and the majority claim it makes their animals more relaxed, calm and content.

The survey revealed that nearly half (44%) of farmers play music or the radio to their animals, with Radio 2 being the most popular station (played by 23%) followed by Radio 1 (14%). Adele, Bon Jovi, Coldplay and Eminem were named as popular farmyard artists.

But it’s not just music ringing out in our farmyards. The majority of all farmers (63%) - and an impressive 75 per cent of dairy farmers - surveyed said they talk to their animals. Hot topics of conversation include the weather, how they or their animals are feeling and general idle chit-chat as if speaking to a pet or another person.

This follows latest research by Essex-based Writtle College which found that playing a radio tuned into a pop music or chat station can have a positive effect on sow and piglet behaviour, by increasing sow suckling and causing piglets to be more playful.

Farmer, David Tory, and his cool cows couldn’t agree more with these findings:

"Put simply, a stressed and unhappy cow won’t drop her milk but we never have that problem with our girls. The secret to their happiness and good production is not only giving them the best care we can but tuning into the local radio or Planet Rock at milking time. The cows love a bit of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones. It makes them chilled out and relaxed and that’s what produces great milk.

“And as for chatting to our animals, we never stop. It helps us build a trusting relationship with them and it makes us feel happy and relaxed too, which can only be a good thing for everyone’s welfare.”

Animal scientist, Dr Marc Cooper, added:

“Chatting to farm animals may sound daft but there is a clear welfare message behind Freedom Food’s survey. The farmers said that their animals are more content, relaxed and calm when they interact with them in this way. Like our pets, farm animals are intelligent, sentient beings and respond well to positive interaction. And just as we communicate to animals, they too communicate with us and can actually tell us a lot about themselves and how they are feeling by the way they behave.”

Other key highlights from the survey of farmers include:

- 28% said they also play talk shows with Radio Five Live being the most popular station (19%), followed by Radio Four’s Today Programme (10%) and Talk Sport (10%)

- 10% of farmers said they even sing to their animals including opera, hymns, 60s and 70s tracks, top 20 hits, rugby anthems, piggy nursery rhymes and the soundtrack to the film Born Free

- Aerosmith and Nirvana were also named as popular farmyard bands

This week is Farm Animal Week (18-24 June).