Cattle Behavior

cattle domestication

common ancestors

• zebus and cows “auroch or urus” (bos primigenius)

zebus and cows were…

domesticated separately but interbreeding occured

flight zone

an animal’s personal space

the size of the flight zone depends on…

tameness or wildness

the flight zone will diminish when or if…

an animal receives frequent gentle handling

understanding an animals flight zone can reduce ___ and prevent ____

stress; accidents

point of balance

extends out from an animals shoulder

standing in front of the point of balance…

will cause the animal to back up

standing behind the point of balance…

will cause the animal to move foward

where is the blind spot

directly behind them

what type of vision do cattle have

panoramic and binocular

what are some disadvantages to cattle having oval-shaped eyes?

weak eye muscles: poor ability to focus quickly on objects; poor depth perception and lack of definition

What type of color vision do cows have?

Dichromatic: yellow, orange, and red

cows have a decreased activity to which colors?

green and blue, supposed to reduce fear

cows have an increased activity to which colors?

yellow and red: arousal response

certain use of colors can be beneficial to controlling a cows’ behavior in specific situations

true

how to cows communicate with each other?

inter-/intra-species communication

dairy breed are more ___ to sound and touch vs beef breeds

sensitive

while grazing, cows constantly sniff the pasture

true

cows can distinguish smells

true

cows prefer a ___ and ___taste

sugar; salty

cutaneous sensitivity

can be used to calm cattle; massage therapy

kenesis

muscle movement or physical activity

social hierarchy or dominance order

important for herd welfare, it keeps the herd under control

What are the 4 factors to dominance order

1. chest girth

2. wither height

3. total weight

4. seniority

linear hierarchy

mostly occurs in small herds. Cow dominance moves down a line

linear-tending hierarchy order

similar to linear but more complex

how to cows reestablish the dominance order?

threat posture and head movements to maintain their dominant rank

milking hierarchy

the more dominant cows will enter the dairy parlor first

lead animal

“leader”: not necessarily the most dominant animal

reactivity approaches

passive approach

active approach

passive approach

dominant animal with stand in a posture that signifies a mild threat: discourages the other animal

active approach

a deliberate threat: direct attack to the animal

bulls are more territorial than cows

true

exploration

they are in a comfortable environment where they become curious to unfamiliar objects or unknown noises: Younger vs older animals

cattle are ruminants

true

how to cows eat

they use their tongue to sever the grass: use the lower teeth to chew

cows are not close grazers

they graze a ½ “ from the ground

cows graze when?

during daylight: weather conditions and flys affect grazing

cows are selective in their intake

true: they avoid plants with manure or urine

rumination grazing ratio

6 hours/9 hours (0.6): this is if grazing is not restricted and is influenced by abundance of pasture and environment

if the pasture is ___, rumination time is short, R:G ratio is low.

good

if the pasture is ___ and ___, rumination time is longer and value is higher; low R:G

poor; fibrous

Rumination

regurgitating and chewing again previously swallowed food

cattle ruminate when ___ and time devoted to ruminating is about ¾ of that spent ___.

resting; grazing

cattle rest on their sternum

true

How long do cows rest

9 to 12 hours a day

What can affect drinking activity

the environment, stage of lactation, and how much milk cattle are producing

how much do cattle drink daily

40 liters or about 10.5 gallons

licking

a primary activity for body

grooming

about 1 hour a day; submissive animal role

allelomimetic behavior

social group behavior; chain effect

“Guard Cows”

cows left in charge and observations

when does suckling behavior begin

2-5 hrs after birth

What are some abnormal behaviors in cattle?

mismothering

nymphomania

buller-steer syndrome

tongue rolling