Benefits to Cattle
Research
Highlighted below are some of the most significant studies carried out into the benefits cows get from interacting with people
Cows prefer direct contact with humans
Lange et al
Lange et al found that cows are actually more relaxed when spoken to directly by a live human rather than a recording becoming more relaxed.
Cows will seek out positive treatment by humans
Bertenshaw & Rowlinson
Bertenshaw and Rowlinson found that even 5 minutes a week of positive human attention can make a big difference. Cows became less fearful and more likely to seek further human interaction
Cows can be trained using positive reinforcement.
Heinsius, J.L. et al
Training heifers using PRT increased anticipatory and play behavior during a waiting period before gaining access to a training session. These results suggest that PRT training can improve emotional states during what might otherwise be aversive events on farm.
https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(23)00664-1/fulltext
