The influence of positive human-animal interaction during rearing on the welfare and subsequent production of the dairy heifer

Abstract

Anthrozoology (the study of human-animal interactions) is proving that human interactions with animals can have a severe impact on their welfare, production and ease of management; and can therefore have a substantial impact on productivity of a livestock unit. Recent research on dairy cattle shows how the quality of human-animal interactions has a potentially greater effect than with other intensively farmed species, due to the extended duration, intensity and frequency of contact. Early work by Bouissou and Boissy (1988) imposed various positive handling treatments on young heifers to determine the most sensitive time to socialise cattle to humans and investigate subsequent ease of handling; it revealed that the benefits of handling decreased with time, it was harder to establish a positive relationship with older animals but the work did monitor the heifers upon entry to the milking herd. Our research is designed to bring together techniques and hypotheses of previous pioneering work and carrying it to its commercially important conclusion when the dairy heifer calves, enters the herd and commences her productive milking life. The aim is to investigate whether the extent and nature of human contact during the rearing period has an effect on heifer welfare and subsequent production.