The Dairy Cattle Housing Dilemma: Natural Behavior Versus Animal Care

Annabelle Beaver; Caroline Ritter; Marina A G von Keyserlingk

doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.11.001

The Dairy Cattle Housing Dilemma: Natural Behavior Versus Animal Care

Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2019 Mar;35(1):11-27. doi: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.11.001.

Authors

Annabelle Beaver¹, Caroline Ritter¹, Marina A G von Keyserlingk²

Affiliations

¹ Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z6, Canada.
² Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z6, Canada. Electronic address: marina.vonkeyserlingk@ubc.ca.

PMID: 30686457
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.11.001

Abstract

Animal welfare has historically been defined at the intersection of 3 key concepts: (1) health and biological functioning, (2) affective state, and (3) natural living. For farmed animals, such as dairy cattle, health and biological functioning are often prioritized, sometimes at the expense of natural living. In this work, the authors discuss the perceived conflict between the duty of care exercised by producers and the resulting consequences to natural behavior expression. They also provide considerations on how indoor housing systems for dairy cattle may be refined to better permit natural behaviors, with particular emphasis on animals' motivational priorities.

Keywords: Artificial rearing; Calf feeding; Maternal behavior; Natural behavior; Tie-stalls.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animal Husbandry / methods*
Animal Welfare*
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Cattle / physiology*
Dairying / methods
Female
Housing, Animal*