Cattle are highly social animals with complex dominance hierarchies and social bonds. Understanding social dynamics is essential for managing group housing welfare effectively.
Social disruption from frequent regrouping is a significant welfare cost in commercial dairy systems. Each time a cow is moved between groups, she must re-establish her position in the hierarchy through agonistic interactions that cause stress and injury risk. Minimising regrouping events, keeping established groups intact and providing adequate space for subordinates to escape dominant animals all improve social welfare. Pair bonding in young calves suggests group rearing supports welfare beyond individual space provision.