How social relationships in dairy herds affect cow welfare and why herd management that respects bovine social needs improves outcomes for animals and farmers.
The social needs of dairy cows are often underestimated or deprioritised in commercial systems. Yet cows are highly social animals that form preferential friendships, synchronise their activities with companions, and show measurable distress when separated from familiar herd mates. Management practices that involve frequent regrouping — moving cows between pens based on production stage, body condition, or available space — impose a continuous social cost that affects both welfare and productivity. Systems that minimise unnecessary regrouping, allow stable social groups, and accommodate the social needs of calves and cows together represent both a welfare improvement and, often, a production benefit.