An investigation of the social behaviour and response to humans of young cattle

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Abstract

This preliminary study investigated the social behaviour and behavioural response to humans of bulls and steers (Experiment 1) and compared the behavioural response to humans of steers and heifers (Experiment 2). In the first experiment, 7 bulls and 7 steers were individually introduced for 15 min to an unfamiliar bull (Male Test) at 5, 7 and 12 months of age and an unfamiliar heifer (Female Test) at 7, 10 and 12 months of age. The approach behaviour to a stationary experimenter in a standard 5-min test (Human Test) was recorded for each bull and steer at 8, 12 and 14 months of age. At 14 months of age the behaviour of the bulls and steers when individually moved through a novel race and yard system was recorded (Movement Test). In the second experiment the Human Test was carried out on each of 7 heifers and 11 steers when the animals were 12 and 14 months old.

In Experiment 1 bulls spent more time investigating the stimulus animals and directed more non-aggressive physical interactions towards the stimulus animals than steers over all the Male Tests (P < 0.05) and Female Tests (P < 0.01). Bulls and steers did not differ in the number of aggressive interactions in the Male and Female Tests (P > 0.05). The behavioural responses in the Human Test in Experiments 1 and 2 the Movement Test in Experiment 1 were similar (P > 0.05).

These experiments suggest that although the social behaviour of bulls and steers towards conspecifics differs up to 14 months of age, bulls and steers and steers and heifers (that have had similar experience of humans) do not differ in their behavioural responses towards humans. Further evidence for this finding was the similar responses of bulls and steers in the Movement Test. More comprehensive research is required to examine the effects of the animals' behavioural responses to humans on husbandry/management practices.

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