Cattle are complex social animals whose behavioral repertoire reveals a great deal about their welfare state. Learning to read cattle behavior helps farmers, veterinarians, and advocates assess and improve welfare outcomes.
Cattle welfare assessment has been transformed by behavioral research showing the depth and complexity of cattle social and emotional lives. A cow that is displaying high eye white area (whale eye), tense facial muscles, and reduced activity is likely in pain or fear — information that experienced stockpeople can read and respond to. A herd with high rates of social agonism, frequent vocalization, and low lying time is likely experiencing welfare problems at the herd level. Training stockpeople in cattle behavioral assessment and providing regular welfare audits based on behavioral indicators represents one of the most cost-effective welfare improvements available to dairy and beef operations. The cattle themselves are communicating their welfare state continuously — the welfare gap is in whether humans are listening.