How enrichment could help cow welfare and public perception of dairy

Animal welfare has tended to focus on the physical state of animals.

More recently, though, the importance of considering their emotional and mental wellbeing has been established, too – creating positive experiences that allow them to express natural behaviour.

Providing enrichment to promote better welfare has become a standard part of pig production, but it is not yet routinely used with other livestock.

However, new research from Nottingham University, presented by PhD student Alison Russell at the recent TotalDairy conference (23-24 November), shows it could be worth considering.

See also: How to improve milking efficiency and cow welfare

Background

Given the welfare benefits enrichment has delivered in the pig industry, Ms Russell’s aim was to see if the same theory could be applied to dairy cows.

The main challenge with trying to offer welfare opportunities is knowing what situations or resources can offer positive experiences to cows.

However, research suggests it is beneficial to offer cows an item that helps pique their curiosity and imitate play through environmental enrichment – particularly within housed settings, she says.

Methodology

Ms Russell’s research was based on two separate trials, each using two groups of 40 cows from a commercial herd, which were housed year round and milked using a robot.

Both trials employed regular qualitative behavioural assessment methods to monitor cow behaviour and wellbeing status.

Trial 1

This involved providing both groups with access to a novel object – an inflatable sailing buoy suspended on a chain and hung on a beam in the shed.

The cows were monitored over a three-week period to observe how much they interacted with the buoy.  

Behaviours related to boredom were also measured. These included idling, where a cow stands stationary for a period of time, rather than lying down and resting, taking part in any other behaviours such as eating, or engaging in contact with other members of the herd.

Trial 2

The second study looked at the preference between different types of resources and gave cows the options of an outdoor yard and a novel object indoors. It also measured how cows use the resources over a longer period of time (two months).

Results

Trial 1

In the first trial, Ms Russell found that all cows in both groups used the object. The time spent doing this varied across the three weeks, but peaked in week one with an average of 11.28 minutes a cow over a 24-hour period (see “Total cow interaction time with a novel object”).

Researchers also noticed a decrease in idling, compared with standard conditions, and found that failed milking attempts – where cows entered the robot, despite not needing milking – were also reduced.

This is another behaviour thought to be associated with boredom.

In standard housed conditions, this behaviour was previously observed up to 40 times a day.

Trial 2

Novelty factor was likely to have played a role in the surge in interest at the beginning of trial 1, says Ms Russell.

However, a replicated observation nine weeks later as part of trial 2 showed that the cows in one group were still averaging 3.21 minutes of play a day, while those in the second group averaged 2.30 minutes.

Though this might not seem like a large amount of time, this figure is comparable with research into how long cows use mechanical rotating brushes, which averages 2.3-4.5 minutes/day, explains Ms Russell.

The cows also showed a strong preference for access to the outdoor area, which was a simple concrete yard.

“Over two months later, we found that more than 94% of one group were still using this [the outdoor area] and 97% of the other group.”

Cows were spending between one hour and one-and-a-half hours outdoors each day.

Using qualitative behaviour assessments, researchers found that when cows had access to both an outdoor area and a novel object, or just the outdoor yard, they were more content, relaxed and positively occupied compared with when they were in standard housing conditions.

Conclusions

Based on the results, researchers concluded that dairy cows are interested in, and value, enrichment. Therefore, it is likely to be a practical way in which farmers can offer them positive experiences.

There is also the potential to reduce at least two different behaviours associated with boredom by giving cows access to different environmental resources, says Ms Russell.

“Overall, the provision of positive welfare opportunities presents an alternative – maybe a new and complementary – way of advancing dairy cow welfare.

“Aside from the direct welfare and health benefits, it may also play an important role in increasing a positive image of the industry.”