Cattle, beef and sheep

Question 1

What is cattle social organisation like in the wild?

Answer 1

naturally gregarious- live in herd of varying size, sociable
standard grouping= cows with calves, heifers and young bulls
in larger groups occasionally an adult bull

Question 2

What is the standard grouping in dairy cattle?

Answer 2

all adults and all juvenile females in the the same group

usually organised by age and in peer groups

Question 3

What stress indicators do you see if a cow is isolated?

Answer 3

Increases:

• heart rate
• vocalisations
• defecations
• cortisol

Question 4

What happens in a new group

Answer 4

aggressive interactions are common when unfamiliar cows enter a group
dominance hierarchy needs to be produced

Question 5

what are the two types of friendly social interaction?

Answer 5

affiliative (social licking and allogrooming) or agonistic (head butting)

Question 6

what do dairy cattle have competition for?

Answer 6

• cubicles
• preferred cubicles
• preferred feeder space
• access to brushes

Question 7

What is sheep social behaviour like in the wild?

Answer 7

undomesticated, herbivorous prey species

naturally gregarious, matrifocal groups, daughters learn from mothers

Question 8

Social Behaviour in farmed sheep

Answer 8

• live in much larger groups, selectively bred for better tolerance
• movement is single file, with the leader towards the front but not at the front
• agnostic behaviour is rare, have subtle behaviours to maintain dominance