Critical industry?
OPINION: There's an outpouring of concern over the parlous state of one of our major industries.
New research shows cows can be taught to follow sounds to find food in a maze. Some cows got a perfect score, when tested four times a day for four days straight.
And confirming that some cows are smarter than others, heifer number two nailed it immediately from day one of testing, amazing researchers when she found the food in less than 20 seconds.
The experiment, by Sydney University’s Future Dairy, was devised by 21-year-old undergraduate Alexandra Green to test dairy cows’ executive function and decision-making ability, and to see how they responded to sound.
Within a few days of training, the six heifers (cattle that are yet to have a calf) were taught to navigate a large T-shaped maze, which was built in a paddock. It resembled smaller mazes that are traditionally used to test rats and mice. Four cows scored 100%, while another two averaged 75%.
