Cattle

Smart farming and Artificial Intelligence (AI): How can we ensure that animal welfare is a priority?

The increasing use of technology in livestock farming has the potential for making farming easier and more efficient and for improving animal welfare. There are also, however, potential dangers, one of which is that animal welfare becomes subordinated to the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Dawkins, M. S. 2025. Smart farming and Artificial Intelligence (AI): How can we ensure that animal welfare is a priority? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 283, 106519.

Comparison of behavioural indicators of acute pain and stress during and after three methods of handling and restraint for pre-weaned beef calves

Pre-weaned beef calves in western Canada are processed at approximately 6–12 weeks of age, when they are individually handled and restrained to conduct various husbandry procedures. Best practice recommendations for safeguarding animal welfare during husbandry procedures suggest using calm, quiet...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Arkangel, L., Windeyer, M. C., Goldhawk, C. et al. 2025. Comparison of behavioural indicators of acute pain and stress during and after three methods of handling and restraint for pre-weaned beef calves. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 286, 106623.

Bovine pain scale: A novel tool for pain assessment in cattle undergoing surgery in the hospital setting

Pain negatively impacts animal welfare and it is still neglected in ruminants. This original study aimed to develop and validate the Bovine Pain Scale (BPS) for acute pain assessment in hospitalized cattle undergoing surgery. This was a blinded, randomized, prospective...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Tomacheuski, R. M., Klostermann, C., Frank, D. et al. 2025. Bovine pain scale: A novel tool for pain assessment in cattle undergoing surgery in the hospital setting. PLOS ONE 20(5), e0323710.

Effects of access to a well-resourced environment on dairy calf cognition and affective state (2025)

Dairy calves are often raised without maternal contact and in environments of low complexity. Environments that limit natural behaviors are known to impair cognitive development and affective states. We explored the effect of environmental complexity on one measure of social...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Suchon, M., Weary, D. M., Keyserlingk, M. A. G. von. 2025. Effects of access to a well-resourced environment on dairy calf cognition and affective state. PLOS ONE 20(5), e0323089.

Self-administration of meloxicam via medicated molasses lick blocks may improve welfare of castrated calves (2025)

The self-administration of meloxicam via medicated feed is a novel concept that could enable non-invasive, pre-emptive and long-term analgesia. Forty Bos taurus male calves were randomly allocated to four treatment groups: no castration (PC), surgical castration (NC), surgical castration with...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Analgesia, Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Rudd, S., Lomax, S., White, P. J. et al. 2025. Self-administration of meloxicam via medicated molasses lick blocks may improve welfare of castrated calves. Animals 15(3), 442.

Dairy calves provided with environmental enrichment are more active, playful and have fewer feeding interruptions (2025)

Concerns for farm animal welfare have led to the use of environmental enrichment to stimulate natural behaviours and promote positive emotions. In cattle, the provision of brushes is sometimes recommended but their use in calves and the effects they may...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Occhiuto, F., Vázquez-Diosdado, J. A., Thomas, M. et al. 2025. Dairy calves provided with environmental enrichment are more active, playful and have fewer feeding interruptions. Scientific Reports 15(1), 4241.

Behavioural engagement of Holstein Friesian dairy cattle with different mounting techniques for salt licks as environmental enrichment (2025)

With increasing numbers of dairy farms adopting zero-grazing systems, there is a growing need for indoor environmental enrichment methods. Enrichment is necessary to meet industry requirements and fulfil behavioural motivations, such as oral manipulation. This study evaluated the magnitude with...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: McLaughlin, D. L., Blackie, N. 2025. Behavioural engagement of Holstein Friesian dairy cattle with different mounting techniques for salt licks as environmental enrichment. Animals 15(5), 701.

Brush use in lot-fed cattle shows continued use and positive behaviour

Feedlot cattle were assessed for the consistency of enrichment brush use, higher incidence of natural behaviour, and less agonistic or abnormal behaviour compared to cattle without the brush. Cattle were assigned to one of two treatment pens, (1) access to...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Dunston-Clarke, E. J., Stockman, C., Sinclair, J. et al. 2025. Brush use in lot-fed cattle shows continued use and positive behaviour. Animals 15(1), 44.

Comparing the use of enrichment items by cattle in a high containment facility

Interacting with environmental enrichment can reduce morbidity, agression and stereotypic behaviours improving both animal welfare and scientific data output. High containment facilities are limited on space, do not have natural scenery, the cattle are kept together in small groups and...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Smith-Langridge, R. 2024, April. Comparing the use of enrichment items by cattle in a high containment facility. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(1), 41–43.

The effect of a hiding space on the behaviour and heart rate variability of dairy calves during temporary separation from the dam

In natural settings, newborn calves hide for several days before joining the herd. It is unclear whether dairy calves housed indoors would show similar hiding behaviour. This study aimed to describe the use of an artificial hide provided to calves...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Spitzer, H. B., Meagher, R. K., O'Sullivan, M. L. et al. 2024. The effect of a hiding space on the behaviour and heart rate variability of dairy calves during temporary separation from the dam. Animal Welfare 33, e2.