Mental Wellbeing

Cattle are social, herd animals and therefore, need other cattle around them to feel safe and happy. This means your cattle will need cattle friends to stay happy.

Research has shown that cattle like to graze with other cattle in groups of 3 - 4. The groups that cattle graze in are made up of cattle that have bonded with each other (cattle make best friends too!).

These groups of cattle will often eat together, groom each other and rest together. Cattle even have different vocalisations and communicate with each other using calls that are individualised in a similar way to human names.

The earlier and younger cattle are when you start to train them, the easier it will be. As cattle get older, it can become slightly harder to make them feel less afraid of you and other new things. With positive reward based training and gentle handling, your cattle can learn to trust you.

You should always use a low, gentle voice around your cattle and never raise your voice to yell at them. Always approach cattle from the side, and it will also help if you have some of their favourite food with you when you are trying to get them used to you and to areas where you want them to go – for example, yards where you might need to bring them to the veterinary attention.

Cattle like being scratched in those hard to reach areas, like behind the ears and under the neck, however, it does take time for your cattle to trust you enough to get close enough to be able to do this.

Remember that cattle are very strong animals, so you always need to be careful around them and you should always have an adult with you to help out. If cattle are feeling frightened or distressed, they may react in ways you are not expecting. The more time you spend with your cattle, the more they will get used to you and learn that you are not a threat.

Cattle have very good memories and will remember things that have happened to them, both positive and negative, which is why training requires gentle handling at all times.

Cattle will remember if they have had a bad or painful experience with other cattle, and they have been shown to hold grudges against other cattle who have mistreated them.

The same goes for people too. If a person has hurt or upset cattle, they are likely to remember this, and they won’t easily forget. They will then avoid or be scared of that same person, and sometimes the place it occurred. This is why it is really important you are always gentle with your cattle and never use physical force or loud voices around them.

Like sheep, cattle have a wide field of vision because their eyes are on the side of their head. This means they can see nearly all the way around them.

They are not as good at knowing how far away things are or how fast something is moving and because of this, they tend to prefer areas that are well-lit so they can always see what is going on.

If cattle sense sudden movement behind them, they can become frightened and may freeze, or become frightened and show unpredictable behaviour (running away, becoming aggressive, panicking, etc.). So, when approaching your cattle, make sure you approach slowly and carefully, and from the side so that they can see you. Always be sure an adult is present as well. 

The same goes when introducing something new to your cattle's environment. Be sure to place it where your cattle can see it and let them come close enough for a closer look when and if they want too. Remember, they are very curious, so it won’t take too long before they come to investigate something new in their paddock.

Cattle have very good hearing and can hear things that we humans can’t hear. Due to this fact, cattle are very sensitive to noises and can become anxious if noises are too loud, or at a high frequency.

Try to talk to your cattle in a quiet, calm voice. Barking dogs, clanging gates and high pitched whistling can also be particularly stressful, so avoid these things where you can.