Changes in temporal and spatial associations between pairs of cattle during the process of familiarisation

Abstract

Mixing unfamiliar individuals is a common practice in livestock production systems. However, a change in social structure can create social stresses, which can adversely affect animal welfare and reduce production. In this study, social interaction metrics were used to investigate interaction and behavioural differences between familiar and unfamiliar pairs. These differences were used to characterise features of the familiarisation process between pairs of unfamiliar steers. Proximity loggers quantified the frequency and duration of close proximity encounters between animals while visual observations evaluated the distance and movement between individuals within pairs and described their be..