The VR headsets depicted summer fields and displayed colours that were pleasing to the eyes of the cows. Credit: Portal of the Government of the Moscow Region.

Milk producers in Russia aim to increase milk production by equipping their cows with modified virtual reality (VR) headsets.

Tested at a farm in Moscow, the VR headsets depicted summer fields and displayed colours pleasing to the eyes of cows.

Through the initiative, farmers tested if the images of simulated summer fields had an impact on the cow.

The test findings, said to be at a very basic stage, identified that the cows were calm, presented lower levels of anxiety and were more relaxed.

However, the test did not establish that the cows wearing the VR headsets produced more or higher quality of milk.

The experiment was carried out by the employees of a dairy farm in collaboration with IT experts in the Moscow Region, performed after studying the effect of VR.

Some dairy farms in the US have installed automatically rotating brushes in the stalls that replace the masseur’s cows, while farmers in the European region are using robotic systems, which ensure free movement of livestock on the farm.

Some suburbs in Russia install sound equipment that broadcasts classical music to generate a relaxing effect, said to create a positive impact on milk output.

According to an analysis by Wageningen University employees in the Netherlands, environmental conditions could create a significant impact on the cow’s health and milk produced.

Researchers from Scotland’s Rural College in Scotland also confirmed these findings.