Cattle

Contact with mature cows and access to pasture during early life shaped dairy heifer behaviour at integration into the milking herd

This study aimed to determine the effects of early-life physical and social enrichment on the ability of dairy heifers to integrate into a herd of mature cows. Fifty heifer calves were reared from the ages of 2–13 weeks in one...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Field, L. A., Hemsworth, L. M., Jongman, E. et al. 2023. Contact with mature cows and access to pasture during early life shaped dairy heifer behaviour at integration into the milking herd. Animals 13(13), 2049.

“Do not look at me like that”: Is the facial expression score reliable and accurate to evaluate pain in large domestic animals? A systematic review

Facial expression scoring has proven to be useful for pain evaluation in humans. In the last decade, equivalent scales have been developed for various animal species, including large domestic animals. The research question of this systematic review was as follows:...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Fischer-Tenhagen, C., Meier, J., Pohl, A. 2022. “Do not look at me like that”: Is the facial expression score reliable and accurate to evaluate pain in large domestic animals? A systematic review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 1002681.

The effect of placement and group size on the use of an automated brush by groups of lactating dairy cattle

Mechanical brushes are often provided on dairy farms to facilitate grooming. However, current brush designs do not provide data on their use, and thus little is known about the effects of group size and placement of brushes within the pen....

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Foris, B., Sadrzadeh, N., Krahn, J. et al. 2023. The effect of placement and group size on the use of an automated brush by groups of lactating dairy cattle. Animals 13(4), 760.

Dairy cows value an open area for lying down

As dairy cows are being housed for longer periods, with all-year-round housing growing in popularity, it is important to ensure housed environments are meeting the needs of cows. Dairy cows are motivated to access open lying areas, although previous motivation...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Shewbridge Carter, L., Haskell, M. J., Ball, D. et al. 2022. Dairy cows value an open area for lying down. PLOS ONE 17(5), e0268238.

Vocalization and other behaviors indicating pain in beef calves during the ear tagging procedure

Vocalization and other behavior signals are used as tools to assess animal welfare in beef calves. This paper aimed to compare vocal parameters and behavior signals expressed by beef calves submitted either to ear tagging procedure for identification (Effective Tagging...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Vocalization, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Schnaider, M. A., Heidemann, M. S., Pescatori Silva, A. H. et al. 2022. Vocalization and other behaviors indicating pain in beef calves during the ear tagging procedure. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 47, 93-98.

Social behavior in farm animals: Applying fundamental theory to improve animal welfare

A fundamental understanding of behavior is essential to improving the welfare of billions of farm animals around the world. Despite living in an environment managed by humans, farm animals are still capable of making important behavioral decisions that influence welfare....

Year Published: 2022Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Lee, V. E., Arnott, G., Turner, S. P. 2022. Social behavior in farm animals: Applying fundamental theory to improve animal welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 932217.

Comparing gradual debonding strategies after prolonged cow-calf contact: Stress responses, performance, and health of dairy cow and calf

We assessed effects of two-step debonding strategies in calf rearing systems with different types of prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) on stress responses, health and performance of dairy cows and calves. Forty-eight Holstein Friesian cow-calf pairs had either: 1) full contact...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Wenker, M. L., van Reenen, C. G., Bokkers, E. A. M. et al. 2022. Comparing gradual debonding strategies after prolonged cow-calf contact: Stress responses, performance, and health of dairy cow and calf. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 253, 105694.

Preferences of dairy cattle for supplemental light-emitting diode lighting in the resting area

Light from the environment is important for vision and regulating various biological processes. Providing supplemental lighting in the stall area could allow for individually targeted or group-level control of light. This study aimed to determine whether dairy cattle had preferences...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Wilson, A. M., Wright, T. C., Cant, J. P. et al. 2022. Preferences of dairy cattle for supplemental light-emitting diode lighting in the resting area. Animals 12(15), 1894.

Role of topical anaesthesia in pain management of farm animals, a changing paradigm

Field evidence indicates that livestock producers are motivated by access to products that readily deliver pain management during husbandry interventions and, more recently, viral epidermal infectious diseases, including FMD. There has been impressive adoption in Australia of a farmer-applied spray-on...

Year Published: 2022Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Windsor, P. A. 2022. Role of topical anaesthesia in pain management of farm animals, a changing paradigm. Animals 12(18), 2459.

Bedding system influences lying behaviour in dairy cows

Background: The nature and depth of bedding material have an important influence on cow lying behaviour and comfort. Increasing use of recycled manure solids (RMS) as bedding led to an investigation of the influence of this material on cow lying...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Leach, K. A., Charlton, G. L., Green, M. J. et al. 2021. Bedding system influences lying behaviour in dairy cows. Veterinary Record 190(7), e1066.