Grooming behavior in dairy cows points to complex social networks

Dairy cow herds have complex social structures, and they’re revealed in the animals’ grooming habits, new research shows. Scientists say this could change farm management practices in the future.

The researchers, in Chile and the United States, spent 30 days observing a small herd of dairy cows that had recently given birth. They looked at the cows’ social grooming behavior, which is known as allogrooming.

Allogrooming generally involves one cow licking another around the head and neck, according to the research announcement from Frontiers in Veterinary Science, which published the study. The behavior is believed to serve various social purposes. For example, it establishes individual bonds between members of a group, and it enhances the herd’s overall social cohesion.

In modern dairy production systems, cows are frequently shuffled into different groups depending on factors such as lactation stage, nutrition requirements and breeding, scientists said. The animals must re-establish their social structure during each regrouping, which research has shown causes negative effects on behavior, health and productivity.

“Our aim was to understand how social networks are formed by cows after they are reunited at the beginning of the milking period and what factors may influence these changes,” said lead author Dr. Gustavo E. Monti, from the Institute of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at the Austral University of Chile. “This is important because cattle form strong bonds, which offer them social support and help them cope with the stressors that occur regularly in dairy cows’ lives.”