Simple enrichment reduces boredom and improves the welfare of farmed dairy cows.

Understanding dairy cow behavior has been a hot topic in dairy science research in recent decades. In a special issue of JDS Communications devoted to dairy cow behavior, new research highlights the importance of environmental enrichment to improve the welfare of farmed dairy cows.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have found that introducing simple, novel objects into a cow’s environment significantly reduces boredom-related behavior and makes the environment more appealing, leading to research by the dairy science community about the effects of housing on behavior. We discovered that it could potentially lead to a deeper understanding of impact.

Dr. Alison L. Russell, a research fellow at the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and principal investigator on the study, explained: The cattle we manage, especially those kept indoors, are beneficial to the farm and the health and welfare of the cattle, but they can also cause animals to become easily bored and develop negative emotional states. It can also lead to a monotonous environment. we want to avoid. ”

Although environmental enrichment research has shown positive results in alleviating boredom in other animal species, there is little research in this area for domestic dairy cows.

Dr. Russell and his research team will explore whether providing novel enrichment objects to stimulate cows, as is often done with pigs, can help the dairy industry better understand boredom behavior in cows. I set out to understand it. The study involved 71 Holstein cows housed in a cubicle with a sand floor and access to one automatic brush. This automatic brush is a tool that is already widely recognized as a positive source of nutrition for cows.

The study cows were then introduced to the free-range area of ​​their home pen for three weeks with a new object: an inflatable sailing buoy suspended at shoulder height.

Dr Russell said: “We chose buoys because they are safe, virtually indestructible and offer a whole new opportunity to interact with cattle.”

The research team then compared the cows’ behavior during this period to a baseline week when no concentrate was present.

Behavior around the buoy and from the robotic milking system used during the test was continuously recorded. Dr Russell said: “We not only recorded whether the cows interacted with the buoy, but in addition to grooming behavior, we also recorded two behaviors associated with boredom.”

Boredom behavior includes idling where the cow stands still and appears unengaged, refusal during automatic milking (seeking stimulation after the cow has already achieved the daily yield or before the next minimum milking interval). entering the milking robot), and self-grooming. Behaviors such as licking, biting, and scratching.

Dr Russell said: “The cows interacted with the buoy easily and repeatedly, at a similar level to the bush, suggesting that the cows felt it was a positive addition to their environment.” said.

The study results also showed that rejection of both idling and milking robots decreased when cows had access to buoys, suggesting that enrichment tools are effective at making living environments more stimulating. It has been suggested that it may be.

Interestingly, this study also found that self-grooming behavior increased in contrast when enrichment was present. Although the literature on self-grooming is conflicting, these behaviors can be associated with changes in stress and arousal, which can be positive or negative.

Dr Russell said: “The cows responded immediately to the buoys, suggesting that they felt it was positive rather than stressful. However, we do not fully understand these behaviors and believe that these reinforcements still persist over long periods of time. Further research is needed to establish whether it is beneficial.” Identify the types of fortification that are most beneficial to dairy cows. ”

The use of environmental enrichment for farmed dairy cows is an area of ​​limited research and requires further investigation. This study helps address an important gap in our understanding of dairy cow behavior and highlights the importance of environmental enrichment to improve dairy cow housing.

Dr Russell added: “These findings help address the potential for boredom and negative emotions in farmed dairy cows, at a time when there is a growing movement to provide positive opportunities for farm animals and further improve their welfare.” We hope to pave the way for further research into the development of new and more effective enrichment strategies.”