Use of qualitative behavioural assessment to investigate affective states of housed dairy cows under different environmental conditions

Russell, Alison L.; Randall, Laura V.; Kaler, Jasmeet; Eyre, Nikki; Green, Martin J.

doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1099170

Use of qualitative behavioural assessment to investigate affective states of housed dairy cows under different environmental conditions

Russell, Alison L.; Randall, Laura V.; Kaler, Jasmeet; Eyre, Nikki; Green, Martin J.

Authors

ALISON RUSSELL Alison.Russell1@nottingham.ac.uk
Research Fellow

LAURA RANDALL LAURA.RANDALL@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Clinical Associate Professor

JASMEET KALER JASMEET.KALER@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Professor of Epidemiology & Precision Livestock Informatics

Nikki Eyre

MARTIN GREEN martin.green@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Cattle Health & Epidemiology

Abstract

In addition to the reduction of suboptimal welfare, there is now a need to provide farmed animals with positive opportunities to provide confidence that they have experienced a life worth living. Diversification of the environment through environmental enrichment strategies is one suggested avenue for providing animals with opportunities for positive experiences. The provision of more stimulating environmental conditions has been widely implemented in other animal production industries, based on evidenced welfare benefits. However, the implementation of enrichment on dairy farms is limited. In addition to this, the relationship between enrichment and dairy cows' affective states is an under-researched area. One specific welfare benefit of enrichment strategies which has been observed in a number of species, is increased affective wellbeing. This study investigated whether the provision of different forms of environmental enrichment resources would impact the affective states of housed dairy cows. This was measured by Qualitative Behavioural Assessment, currently a promising positive welfare indicator. Two groups of cows experienced three treatment periods; (i) access to an indoor novel object, (ii) access to an outdoor concrete yard and (iii) simultaneous access to both resources. Principal component analysis was used to analyse qualitative behavioural assessment scores, which yielded two principal components. The first principal component was most positively associated with the terms “content/relaxed/positively occupied” and had the most negative associations with the terms ‘fearful/bored'. A second principal component was most positively associated with the terms “lively/inquisitive/playful” and was most negatively associated with the terms “apathetic/bored”. Treatment period had a significant effect on both principal components, with cows being assessed as more content, relaxed and positively occupied and less fearful and bored, during periods of access to additional environmental resources. Similarly, cows were scored as livelier, more inquisitive and less bored and apathetic, during treatment periods compared to standard housing conditions. Concurrent with research in other species, these results suggest that the provision of additional environmental resources facilitates positive experiences and therefore enhanced affective states for housed dairy cows.

Citation

Russell, A. L., Randall, L. V., Kaler, J., Eyre, N., & Green, M. J. (2023). Use of qualitative behavioural assessment to investigate affective states of housed dairy cows under different environmental conditions. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, Article 1099170. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1099170

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Feb 14, 2023
Online Publication Date	Mar 17, 2023
Publication Date	Mar 17, 2023
Deposit Date	May 2, 2023
Publicly Available Date	May 5, 2023
Journal	Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Print ISSN	2297-1769
Electronic ISSN	2297-1769
Publisher	Frontiers Media SA
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	10
Article Number	1099170
DOI	https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1099170
Keywords	Qualitative behavioural assessment, cow, affect, positive welfare, enrichment
Public URL	https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/19287334
Publisher URL	https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1099170/full