When it comes to human interaction. cows tend to be calm, fearful or reactive, according to new research.
A general understanding of these cow 'personality types' can help farmers tailor their approach to individual cows and get the best from them, says researcher Jim Webster.
Photo: RNZ / Vinay Ranchhod
Under New Zealand law, animals are recognised as sentient, i.e. they have feelings and emotions that are individual to them, Webster tells Susie Ferguson.
To understand their personality 'types', the researchers had to develop something like a Myers-Briggs test for cattle.
They chose five ways to measure cow personality, Webster says.
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How they respond to a "novel object"
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How they respond to a person they've never seen before
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How close they allow a person to get to them in a paddock
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How do they respond when restrained for a while then released.
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How they behave while being milked
They deduced that cow personalities fall into three main types which are basically fearful (of humans), calm and reactive.
"Those three personality types explained a little bit about how they behaved as a cow in the herd. It affected their 'lying time' [usually around 9 hours a day]. Cows that were more fearful tended to lay down less during the day, and laying is a very important behaviour for cows. They're big animals and while they're laying down they digest the grass that they've eaten during the day."
"It's hard for farmers to understand cows when they've got a thousand cows. Previously they would have known each cow individually."
Webster hopes the knowledge that certain cows are fearful of humans will enable farmers to treat them in a way they'll be more comfortable with.
"These tests will help explain why [farmers] see cows behaving in a different way and maybe tailor how they manage those cows [depending on] their particular [personality] type."
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