Page 109 - The Welfare of Cattle

86 the WeLfare of CattLe

is defined as the licking of one cow on the body surface of another primarily in the forequarter and
head region excluding anal and udder licking (Wood, 1977). Although allogrooming does serve a
physiological function in skin and hair hygiene in cattle (Sato, Sako, & Maeda, 1991; Simonsen,
1979; Val-Laillet, Guesdon, Von Keyserlingk, De Passillé, & Rushen, 2009), allogrooming has a
critical role in forming and stabilizing the social network within cattle herds (Boissy et al., 2007;
Sato, Sako, & Maeda, 1991; Sato, Tarumizu, & Hatae, 1993). Tactile interactions can also have
positive impacts on cattle well-being. Multiple studies have indicated that allogrooming can have a
calming effect on those being groomed as indicated by decreased heart rates (Laister, Stockinger,
Regner, Zenger, Knierim & Winckler, 2011) in addition to positively impacting milk yield and
weight gain (Arave & Albright, 1981; Sato, Sako, & Maeda, 1991). Social grooming is complex
and can be used in a variety of ways to express hierarchy position, build intragroup relationships,
reinforce positive social bonds, and ameliorate negative group dynamics.

Sensory Input of Food—texture

The physical properties of food in the mouth can impact the palatability of or aversion to the
food itself. Many of the senses already discussed (olfaction, gustation, vision) impact food choices
but somatosensory input does as well, often discussed as texture. The idea of “dynamic contrast,”
the changes in sensations during chewing, swallowing, and ruminating, can impact the memory
of an eating experience and thus impact subsequent food choice (Forbes, 2007). Cattle, and other
animals, learn to associate sensory characteristics of food such as texture with unpleasant or pleas-
ant metabolic experiences (Forbes, 2007). Food aversion and preference is complex, involving both
sensory input and post-ingestive feedback (Scott & Provenza, 1998).

Can’t touch this—aversive Stimuli

The way in which cattle respond to aversive stimuli, such as pain associated with management
procedures such as castration and dehorning, has been studied extensively. Nociception, the sense
of pain, occurs in response to chemical, mechanical, or thermal stimulation of nociceptors (sensory
nerve cells) that produce an electric impulse in response to a noxious stimulus that travels to the
spinal cord and ultimately the brain. This triggers an experience of pain in the animal and is associ-
ated with behavioral and physiological changes (see Coetzee, 2013 for a review of pain assessment
associated with castration in cattle). Recognition of pain in cattle is essential to proper management.
A contemporary welfare issue in the cattle industry is developing methods to properly assess and
alleviate pain resulting from standard management procedures.

the role of touch in human–Cattle Interactions

When humans handle animals, they often touch them with their hands or handling tools. Thus,
the application of touch in human–cattle interactions during handling can be direct. A negative
handling experience in which a cow is hit, kicked, or struck with a handling tool can have a lasting
impression on that animal. As discussed, the negative sensory input could cause an association of
fear with the location, the handler, and the procedure. That type of behavior is inexcusable when
working with animals as it impacts animal well-being, causes fear and distress, can potentially
impact handling safety depending on the animal’s response and can have detrimental effects on
efficiency and production. Hemsworth and Coleman (2010) provide a comprehensive review on the
impacts of human–animal interaction on animal welfare and productivity.
Tactile interactions can also have positive impacts on cattle well-being. Multiple studies have
indicated that allogrooming can have a calming effect on those being groomed as indicated by
decreased heart rates (Laister, Stockinger, Regner, Zenger, Knierim & Winckler, 2011; Sato,