Novel enrichment reduces boredom-associated behaviors in housed dairy cows

Abstract

Graphical Abstract Summary Boredom has been suggested as a potential cause of suboptimal welfare for housed dairy cows; however, research evaluating boredom and the impact of environmental enrichment is lacking. This study investigated the effect that a novel object in the home environment had on the behavior of 2 groups of dairy cows (n = 71). Cows had fewer robotic milking refusals, and the occurrence of idling behavior was reduced when the novel object was present compared with when cows were housed in standard conditions. In addition, the occurrence of self-grooming increased while the novel object was present. After 3 weeks, 83% of cows were still using the novel object at least once each day. These results suggest that unsuccessful milking attempts and idling may be behavioral indicators of boredom in dairy cows and that additional sources of environmental enrichment may enhance the welfare of housed dairy cows.