Play behaviour in cattle, including frolicking, bucking, and social play, indicates positive welfare states and is suppressed in poor housing and management conditions.
The suppression of play behaviour in intensively housed cattle reflects not just the absence of positive welfare but indicates underlying negative welfare states. Calves and adult cattle denied space, pasture access, and social stability lose opportunities for play that are intrinsically valuable to their welfare experience. Measuring play frequency as a welfare indicator in farm assessment provides a practical way to assess positive welfare rather than relying solely on injury and disease metrics. Farms that actively monitor and promote play behaviour achieve higher overall welfare standards.