Farmers should try to look happy around their livestock to make sure the meat tastes better after slaughter, a new study suggests.

Research into goats has revealed for the first time than non-domesticated farmyard animals can recognise human emotions and respond accordingly.

A team at Queen Mary University of London used black and white pictures of humans showing them with either a happy of said face, noticing greater interaction among the goats after they had seen the happy faces.

While the ability to recognise emotion is already known about in species with a long history of human interaction, such as dogs and horses, the new study provides the first evidence that the trait exists more broadly.

Farmers and those in the meat production industry know the welfare of animals plays a big role in determining the quality of the meat and invest considerable effort in ensuring livestock arrive at the slaughterhouse in a calm and happy state.

Dr Alan McElligott who led the research, published in the Royal Society Open Science, said: “The study has important implications for how we interact with livestock and other species, because the abilities of animals to perceive human emotions might be widespread and not just limited to pets.”