Future Milk Yields to Rise With Neural Implants in Cows’ Brains

Digital Livestock Farming

IT technologies are already well established in Russian livestock farming. Farmers, for example, use digital collars that transmit key data about each cow – where the animal is, what it is doing, and how it eats. In addition, cows are given ingestible sensors with radio transmitters that report acidity levels, feed digestion quality, and activity levels. After analysis, this data allows farmers to optimize feeding and housing conditions, increasing milk yields. One such project involved Russian telecom operator MTS.

Alexey Mariza, chief operating officer of Neuroroga, argues that improving efficiency now requires going further and implanting chips in cows. “In dairy farming, traditional ways of increasing productivity – better feed, improved housing conditions, and herd genetics – have long been used by many enterprises. At a certain point, however, these players face a logical question: how do you reach the next level of efficiency?”

“The answer may lie in neurostimulation – a technology that helps animals cope more easily with stress. Research shows that stress is one of the key factors that reduces milk synthesis and milk components, while increasing energy expenditure simply to maintain vital functions.”

Productivity Zones in the Brain

In spring 2025, the Neuroroga (Neurohorns) project was launched in Russia. The neurotechnology startup Neiry set out to increase milk yields and improve overall animal condition through remote influence on the brain. To achieve this, a neurostimulator is implanted into the cow’s brain, targeting specific regions.

The use of neurotechnology on farms helps address two challenges at once. First, neurostimulation helps animals remain resilient to stress and adapt to adverse conditions. This allows farms to mitigate climate-related risks and maintain stable production volumes. Second, higher herd productivity makes it possible to reduce environmental impact. Farms obtain more milk from the same number of animals, which lowers methane and carbon dioxide emissions per liter of output. In this way, neurotechnology becomes not only a tool for boosting productivity, but also an important element of the green transformation of dairy farming

Alexey Mariza

CEO of Neuroroga

According to the project’s developers, at least four brain zones influence milk yield: one linked to appetite, another responsible for stress, a third controlling motor activity, and a fourth directly responsible for the milk let-down reflex. The experiment is currently being conducted on five cows and, so far, focuses only on the appetite-related zone. Even under these limited conditions, milk yields have already increased.

However, the task is far more complex, noted Alexander Bubenok, head of the project office at Neiry. “Appetite depends on many factors – the animal’s mood, stress levels, weather, the care provided by farm staff, and so on. In simple terms, when everything is fine, the animal eats well. The goal of influencing a specific brain zone is to make this process independent of external conditions.”

An Independent Cow in 30 Minutes

To reduce a cow’s dependence on external factors, a stimulator is fixed to the animal’s head, with electrodes penetrating the brain. Preliminary calculations suggest that if the device stimulates all four relevant brain zones, productivity could increase by more than 30%.

This more than offsets the cost of implanting and maintaining the chip. At the same time, the physiological load on the animal increases, requiring higher-quality care and feeding. As a result, Neuroroga’s innovation is not a replacement for traditional livestock practices but a significant addition to them.

A pilot project using the neurotechnology is currently underway at a farm in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region. Early results point to its effectiveness. In the future, the solution could be integrated into a broader “smart livestock farming” system, which also includes RFID tags, temperature and activity sensors, and microclimate control systems. Overall production management would be handled by AI that evaluates feeding efficiency, forecasts peak milk yields, and detects hidden animal diseases.

Looking ahead, the technology’s ability to significantly increase milk yields gives it export potential. It could become attractive to countries seeking rapid growth in dairy production and willing to adopt cow chipping as part of their agricultural modernization.