Environmental enrichment for dairy cattle addresses the behavioural deprivation of intensive systems and can improve welfare while maintaining production.
Dairy cattle in high-yield systems spend most of their lives indoors, restricting their ability to express exploratory, social, and ranging behaviours. The provision of even simple enrichment like automated brushes produces measurable improvements in behaviour and physiological stress markers. Positive stockperson interactions, where cattle are spoken to calmly and touched gently during routine procedures, reduce fear responses and improve ease of handling. These welfare improvements are typically achievable without production trade-offs.