After a Long and Stressful Dairy Farm Career, Here’s What Freedom Looks Like for One Cow Herd

Cows are among the most beloved farmyard animals. They’re also highly intelligent and capable of feeling a range of humanlike emotions. This video shows just how emotional and understanding cows are of their environments. These cows might be experiencing grass for the first time but feel more than just excitement.

Freedom Is Within Sight

The story behind this video is that these cows are being led to freedom. Their behavior upon seeing and touching grass for the first time is heartwarming. However, is it just the excitement these cows feel or a mixture of relief? According to The Humane League, cows experience complex emotions and cognitive bias. This means the memory of an emotion stays with them and influences future behavior. For cows who lived on a dairy farm their whole lives, their cognitive bias might include claustrophobic memories. They may have felt chronic anxiety, stress, or even fear. Depending on their environment, they may also have been unaware that the outside world existed.

At first, these cows are slightly hesitant to leave. After they enter the pasture, they can be seen frolicking, which is an obvious sign of joy. Cows generally enjoy being outside and love to play, something the cows in this video haven’t been able to do. They are very expressive animals, and there’s no denying this moment filled this herd with immense happiness.

Cows Are Social And Intuitive

What makes this moment even sweeter is knowing how intuitive cows are. They’re excellent communicators and speak to other herd members through various sounds. Bonded cows lick one another or groom each other as an expression of affection. This herd was likely bonded due to their living situation, which means their joy in freedom is a shared experience as well. Cows learn from one another, and it’s obvious from this video. Once one cow ran to the pasture, the others followed, realizing it was safe.

Herds such as this also help cows feel at ease in new situations. The herd is essentially one big support system, reassuring the more anxious members. This video is a perfect demonstration of how cows rely on one another during new experiences. Since they love being outside, the feeling of grass under their hooves is instinctively comforting. These cows might not understand the concept of freedom as a human does, but they understand being outdoors. The more room they have to play and run, the better, and cows express this through the same behavior we see here.