Page 110 - The Welfare of Cattle

sense and sensIbILItY 87

Sako, & Maeda, 1991; Sato, Tarumizu, & Hatae, 1993) in addition to positively impacting milk yield
and weight gain (Arave & Albright, 1981; Sato, Sako, & Maeda, 1991). Oftentimes research focuses
on the impact that negative human–animal interactions have on cattle behavior and well-being
but there have been some studies that focus on the impacts of positive tactile interactions between
cattle and humans (Boissy & Bouissou, 1988; Boivin, Le Neindre, & Chupin, 1992; Schmied,
Boivin, Scala, & Waiblinger, 2010; Schmied, Boivin, & Waiblinger, 2008). Schmied, Boivin, and
Waiblinger (2008; 2010) have conducted several studies exploring the impacts of stroking different
body areas performed by humans on the subsequent behavior of dairy cattle. The studies deter-
mined that stroking in certain areas, particularly the neck, reduced avoidance behavior and stress
reactions and increased approach behavior in dairy cattle, providing evidence that positive tactile
interactions with humans can impact cattle well-being.

SUMMarY

The paradox of novelty in the context of cattle behavior is a cow’s desire to explore something
new in its environment slowly, that if otherwise confronted with quickly would evoke fear. Cattle
are curiously afraid of novel items in their environment and their sensory systems allow them to
see, hear, smell, touch, and even taste objects they are confronted with. Often times when working
with cattle we expose them to new things whether it be facilities, handlers, working animals, con-
specifics, or locations. Understanding how cattle gather sensory information about their surround-
ings often explains why they behave in certain ways, e.g., refusing to move when confronted with
a sharp contrast in flooring, getting agitated by yelling, being spooked by people that move quickly
into their field of vision. Some aspects of human and bovine sensory systems are similar but others
are very different and even though understanding these sensory systems provides some appreciation
for the umwelt of a cow, human handlers will never be able to fully grasp how a cow experiences
the handler-cow collective world. Sensory systems are complex but by understanding the basics, the
safety and well-being of both the cattle and human handlers can be improved.

reFereNCeS

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