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Dairy calves provided with environmental enrichment are more active, playful and have fewer feeding interruptions

Francesca Occhiuto, Jorge A. Vázquez-Diosdado, Matthew Thomas, Emma R. Gayner, Andrew King Orcid Logo, Jasmeet Kaler

Scientific Reports, Volume: 15, Issue: 1

Swansea University Author: Andrew King Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1038/s41598-025-88129-7

Abstract

Concerns for farm animal welfare have led to the use of environmental enrichment to stimulate natural behaviours and promote positive emotions. In cattle, the provision of brushes is sometimes recommended but their use in calves and the effects they may have are not well established. The use of prec...

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Published in: Scientific Reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68740
Abstract: Concerns for farm animal welfare have led to the use of environmental enrichment to stimulate natural behaviours and promote positive emotions. In cattle, the provision of brushes is sometimes recommended but their use in calves and the effects they may have are not well established. The use of precision technologies enables the collection of detailed behavioural data that can be used as welfare indicators. Here we use ultra-wideband location sensors to measure activity and play, along with automatic milk feeders to measure feeding. We assessed the effects of stationary brushes on the behaviour of 226 dairy calves for up to 72 days. Half of the calves had access to the brushes for half of the experimental period. Using a mixed-effects linear model we showed that when brushes were present calves had significantly higher activity, fed slower, had fewer interruptions in their meals and spent less time around the feeder, suggesting reduced competition. Furthermore, calves that had access to brushes during the trial were more active and playful, even on days when the brushes were not available, compared to the control group. This finding indicates for the first time that enrichment may have a lasting effect on calf behaviour and welfare.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, United Kingdom, project reference: BB/T0083690/1 and BB/W020459/1.
Issue: 1

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