How behavioral observation helps assess and improve welfare in cattle on farms and during handling.
Cattle behavior provides some of the most accessible and reliable indicators of their welfare state. When cattle are fearful of humans, have limited opportunity for natural social behaviors, or are housed in environments that trigger chronic stress, their behavior changes in observable ways. Training stockpeople to recognize and respond to behavioral cues — and to understand how their own behavior affects cattle — is one of the most cost-effective welfare improvements available to farms.