Extensive mother cow husbandry

Human-animal relationship examined

The number of suckler cows kept extensively is increasing. The animals have less contact with humans. The animals can become afraid, aggressive and thus more likely to have accidents. How the human-animal relationship develops in such extensive forms of husbandry was the subject of a dissertation at the University of Göttingen.

For this purpose, grazing trials with extensively reared suckler cows and heifers were carried out and the reaction of young bulls to routine measures originating from suckler cow husbandry was observed. After a two-month phase of three weekly encounters with people - supported by a taped voice - cows and heifers in extensive grazing lost significantly in their shyness towards people. If the visits were then reduced again, the animals showed their initial shyness again.

A memory test after one year showed no differences to the rarely visited control animals (three visits in four months). The criteria for the familiarity of the animals were: onset of attention, flight distance and distance after 30 seconds. A taped voice alone did not bring about habituation to humans. When people approached herds of different breeds under practical conditions, a slight habituation effect was generally recognizable, but the distance characteristics were highest in three F1 herds (Salers x Schwarzbunt) and lowest in three Fleckvieh groups; two Salers groups examined reacted inconsistently. - Studies on the degree of excitement in young bulls that came from extensive suckler herds but were now fattened intensively showed high animal-individual differences.

Cortisol levels in saliva or blood, heart rates, tail flicks and driving times were evaluated as measures of excitement. After regular saliva sampling, the cortisol level dropped to a relatively low plateau. For animals less accustomed to human contact, however, saliva collection and blood collection from the tail vein were equally major stressors. When the animals were restrained for a longer period of time, heart rates and cortisol values ​​did not behave consistently, and the number of tail beats did not provide a reliable benchmark either. The author of the study pointed out that the results could be better verified through a higher degree of standardization and larger numbers of animals.

Source: Bonn [Dr. Sigrid Baars - aid ]