Behaviour

One of the most important natural behaviours for a cow is being able to graze. Grazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses. Cows can spend up to nine hours a day grazing. If you decide to own a cow, it is very important you allow your cows to graze.

You will need to have enough space to keep cows comfortable so that they do not feel confined and so that there is enough pasture to keep them busy grazing on. You will need to make sure that your pasture is well looked after - an adult may be able to help you with that. You can read more about this in our Nutrition section. 

Another reason it is so important for your cow to graze is because it is part of the cow’s digestive process. We talked earlier about the special compartments a cow’s stomach has, which makes it a ruminant. As your cow is a ruminant, it requires time to graze on its food, regurgitate, swallow their food, regurgitate and ruminate (or chew) on it some more.

This allows your cow to extract all the nutrients possible from the grass. If your cow does not get the opportunity to graze, it can become depressed, ill and develop problem behaviours. Remember, not being able to graze is not normal or natural for a cow.

Cows are naturally herded animals and are very social. This means it is normal for cows to want to be in groups (herds). A cow won’t feel safe if it is alone keeping your cow isolated, and she will try to get into an environment with other cows if she is isolated. Isolation isn’t natural for cows, so they should always be able to see and interact with at least one or two other cows.

Cows can become panicked or depressed when they are on their own, so it is very important that they have other cows for company. In order to make sure your cow can express their natural behaviours, you should have at least one other cow, that they are compatible with, for your cow to be friends with and keep them together. This will help your cow feel safe and happy.

Cows enjoy grooming themselves and other cows (social grooming). This helps cows form bonds with each other, especially between cows and their calves. These behaviours are all very important for your cow and they will want the company of cows so they can participate in these natural activities.

Interesting fact – a dairy cow can produce over 50kg of saliva in one day!

An interesting fact about cows is that they can lie down for up to 14 hours a day. During this time though, they will only sleep for short periods at a time. Cows lie down for many different reasons; time to digest food (ruminate) in a safe and quiet place, helps rest their hooves, sleeping, when they calve (give birth) or when sick or injured.

Therefore, they are standing and lying regularly throughout the day, depending on many different things. Another thing to remember is the way that cows lie down, as they generally bend onto their front knees to drop down to the ground – so make sure if using a bedding inside area – that the area of bedding is comfortable enough for them to drop down to their knees (using comfortable matting is good).

Cows are very intelligent animals and they do well when their minds are stimulated. Letting a cow use their mind to learn new things is part of helping your cow to express their natural behaviours.

Many people use clicker training to train their dogs. Did you know you can use clicker training for cows too? Cows have successfully been trained to learn a variety of tasks and commands through clicker training. Cows have learnt to distinguish between shapes and colours, and have also learnt many cool tricks when they have been trained.

You can find clicker training guides at your local library or watch instructional videos online of how to properly train an animal using a clicker.

By training your cow, you are both stimulating her mind and bonding with her. To do this, you need to spend good quality time with your cow, creating positive interactions.

All animals should be given enrichment – enrichment is a way of improving the lives of your animals by giving them interesting, fun and challenging things to do.

Enriching their lives with other herd mates is another way to ensure your cow is happy and healthy. Having the best, well-managed pasture is also the best situation you can have for your cow(s). Enrichment is especially important if your pasture or grass area isn’t the very best.

Here are some enrichment ideas for your cow which will keep them busy and stop them from being bored or frustrated:

• Cow brushes – you can get large brushes that your cows will love to scratch up against and groom themselves! These brushes can be attached to a very stable fence or post, or inside your cow’s barn area.
   
• Large empty plastic containers – cows are very curious animals and will investigate and play with empty plastic containers to keep them busy. Just be sure before you give anything to your cow you check the item has no sharp parts or anything which could be unsafe for your cow.

Cows are smart and social animals. They experience a variety of emotions and have a rich range of communication that includes moos, grunts, bellows, cries, as well as non-verbal signals such as their ear, head, and tail positions, even the whites of their eyes can communicate if they are feeling fearful or anxious.

Learning and understanding what a cow is telling you with their body can help you understand how they are feeling, so that you can respond in safe and positive ways.

If you're ever concerned about your cows' behaviour, always talk to an adult and ask them to speak to your vet.

Click on the image to download the infographic!