Scientists are carrying out research to see whether chickens which listen to music lay more eggs.

Traditional farm lore has long held that the feathered friends thrive when music is played to them.

Now scientists at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian - home of Dolly the cloned sheep - are teaming up with the National Farmers Union to put the theory to the test.

Research by the same unit claimed last month that a daily dose of television made chickens happier, grow quicker and lay bigger eggs.

This latest study will also look at whether particular types of music, such as jazz, classical or rock, have more marked effects on the chickens' well-being.

Farmers across the country are being enlisted to watch their flocks, looking out for changes in behaviour when the music is switched on.

Dr Bryan Jones, of the Roslin Institute, said they would be checking to see if the music made birds more relaxed, alert, put on weight, and lay more eggs.

''Intuitively many farmers play music to their animals because they believe it to have a beneficial effect,'' he said.

''The idea is to make the environment more interesting for the birds and make them less easily frightened by other noises that they experience.

''We expect it to make them more alert, but it could also mean that they perform better in terms of egg-laying.''

Farmers at the industry's Pig and Poultry Fair at the Royal Agricultural Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, were being handed survey forms yesterday, with a checklist to help them monitor the chickens as they listen to different types of music.

The results are expected to be published later this summer.