How cattle communicate pain and illness through behaviour and how farmers and vets can use these indicators for early intervention.
Cattle are often assumed to be stoic or unaffected by pain partly because they conceal it so effectively. This concealment is an evolutionary adaptation — showing weakness in the presence of predators is dangerous — but it means that by the time cattle show obvious signs of illness or pain, they have often been suffering for a significant period. Training farmers and stockpeople to recognise subtle behavioural indicators transforms early detection. A dairy cow that isolates herself from the herd, a beef animal that shifts weight repeatedly, or a calf that grinds its teeth may all be communicating pain that can and should be addressed.