The effect of electromagnetic transmitters on behaviour of dairy cows

To establish a nationwide mobile phone network, thousands of antennas have been erected in the German landscape. Mobile phone companies often prefer the roofs of stables for their antennas. Some farmers, however, have reported abnormalities in the behaviour of their cattle since the electromagnetic fields have been established. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the behaviour of cows exposed to a high-frequency electromagnetic field. Investigations were carried out on 29 milk farms with different levels of exposure to an electromagnetic field. All cows were kept in stanchion stables during winter, From May to November, on 8 farms they were also observed on pasture. Farms were grouped according to their electromagnetic exposure levels,and data were compared between groups, Significant differences were found in lying behaviour, daily behaviour profile on pasture and ruminating behaviour, which could be interpreted as the cows' response to these fields. Findings could be interpreted as chronic stress and show a biological effect of a high frequency electromagnetic field.