Display of a peer's face picture enhances the preference for a pen in preference testing in cows

Abstract

Using preference testing, we investigated the effect of a brush and a peer's face picture on the welfare of breeding beef cows. Four cows were used in experiment 1 and another four cows were used in experiment 2. An experimental barn consisted of two 3.5 square-meter pens, and a corridor measuring 1.6 m wide and 1.3 m long. During the experiment, either side of the pens were treated. In experiment 1, straw bedding was placed in a treated pen (condition B) in the first two trials, a brush was added in the treated pen (condition BB) in the next two trials, and a peer's face picture was displayed in the treated pen (condition BBF) in the last two trials. In experiment 2, condition B was applied for the first two trials, a peer's face picture was displayed in the treated pen (condition BF) in the next two trials, and condition BBF was applied for the last two trials. Each cow was housed alone from 09.00 hour to 15.00 h in the experimental barn during the six trials. The cows stayed in the treatment pen longer than in the non-treatment pen under all conditions in experiments 1 and 2. In experiment 1, the mean total time spent in the treatment pen was longer under condition BBF than under conditions B and BB. In experiment 2, the mean total time spent in the treatment pen was shorter under condition B than under conditions BF and BBF. The mean percentage of time spent ruminating was greater under condition BBF than under condition B. It is concluded that the cows preferred the peer's face picture in the isolated condition of preference testing in this study.

The assessment of the effect of presenting a companion's face picture on social isolation stress using saliva sampling in cows

“…Additionally, the salivary cortisol concentrations of P‐Com were higher than that of P‐Blank, suggesting that P‐Com induced the stress response more than P‐Blank in the test cows. However, in our previous study (Ninomiya & Sato 2009) we reported that cows preferred the face picture of a companion in isolated conditions, and suggested that this might also decrease stress in these animals. It is possible that the difference in the experimental conditions of the previous study and the present study affected the cows' responses to the companion's face picture.…”

“…2009) or their face pictures (Sato & Yoshikawa 1996) and that a companion calf and a companion cow's face picture could decrease behavioral stress responses induced by SI (Færevik et al . 2006; Ninomiya & Sato 2009). The trends in salivary chromogranin A concentrations of P‐Com and Com 30 min after the start of treatments found in this study are in agreement with these results.…”

“…It is possible that the difference in the experimental conditions of the previous study and the present study affected the cows' responses to the companion's face picture. In the report by Ninomiya and Sato (2009), animals were not exposed to the companion in the experimental barn during the pre‐treatment and experiment period and were habituated to the experimental isolation conditions. On the other hand, in the present study, animals were housed with the companion cow in the experimental barn during the pre‐treatment and experiment period.…”

“…At 12.30 hour (30 min after exposure to Com or P-Com), salivary chromogranin A concentrations tended to be lower than that in P-Blank. It has been reported that cattle can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics (Hagen & Broom 2003;Koba et al 2009) or their face pictures (Sato & Yoshikawa 1996) and that a companion calf and a companion cow's face picture could decrease behavioral stress responses induced by SI (Faerevik et al 2006;Ninomiya & Sato 2009). The trends in salivary chromogranin A concentrations of P-Com and Com 30 min after the start of treatments found in this study are in agreement with these results.…”

“…Some of the factors that have been found to decrease isolation stress include the presence of a companion animal or human among the cattle (Boissy & Le Neindre 1997;Raussi et al 2003;Faerevik et al 2006). Using preference testing, Ninomiya and Sato (2009) reported that isolated cows preferred a pen with a companion's face picture to one with straw bedding or a brush in socially isolated conditions. It has also been reported that cattle prefer looking at pictures of companions' faces to those of unknown conspecifics (Sato & Yoshikawa 1996), and that cattle spend more time near a companion cow than an unfamiliar cow in a preference test (Faerevik et al 2006).…”