They can tell other cows whether they're in a bad moo-d...
Researchers say cows can communicate their mood, including loneliness or excitement, through the noise they make.
The University of Sydney has found they are talkative, social and tell each other how they're feeling. They also have their own language and talk between one another about things like food and the weather.
Hundreds of hours of "moos" were examined in the hope farmers will have happier cows if they can understand them. It found that cows have individual vocal characteristics and change their pitch depending on their emotions.
"Cows are gregarious, social animals".
"In one sense it isn’t surprising they assert their individual identity throughout their life and not just during mother-calf imprinting but this is the first time we have been able to analyse voice to have conclusive evidence of this trait.”
“We hope that through gaining knowledge of these vocalisations, farmers will be able to tune into the emotional state of their cattle, improving animal welfare,” she added.
