Yes, Cows Really Do Have Besties

Everyone needs friends — even cows. However, did you know that cows have besties? These types of friendly relationships benefit both the individual cows and the herd. Positive social bonds have a calming influence, reduce stress in new situations, and help maintain herd cohesion. Find out more about cow social behavior and learn how a cow is better able to cope with challenges due to the support of its best friend.

Social Behavior in Cattle

Understanding the social hierarchy among cows is crucial to understanding their relationships. The scientific literature on cattle has shown that they are very social animals with well-established social hierarchies. Cows form complex social bonds within their herds. The bond between a mother and her calf is typically the first social bond. Calves begin to develop social bonds with other calves as early as three weeks of age. Hierarchical relationships between sexes may begin to be established as early as four months of age.

Dominant-subordinate relationships among cows help maintain stability in the herd. An individual’s dominance rank is influenced not only by past interactions but also by physical attributes such as sex, age, size, and breed in mixed-breed groups. Researchers found that age had the greatest influence on rank in single-breed groups, while breed had the greatest influence on rank in mixed-breed groups.

Non-physical attributes, including a cow’s behavior and personality, also contribute to its rank. Personality traits such as boldness, aggressiveness, exploration, sociability, and activity help determine a cow’s dominance ability. A cow’s dominance ability is expected to remain consistent regardless of circumstances. Both physical and non-physical attributes have a direct influence on a cow’s relationships.

Cows Really Do Have Best Friends

Researchers evaluate affiliative, or positive, interactions in cows using licking behavior and the amount of time a cow spends near another cow. Social licking on the neck and head is the primary type of affiliative behavior, though head-to-head contact and head rubbing have also been observed. These behaviors are believed to demonstrate a preferential bond that is formed between farm animals, including cattle, pigs, and goats. In stable groups, cows have been shown to establish and actively maintain long-lasting preferential relationships.

Researchers have found that preferential bonds are more likely to occur between individuals with similar attributes. Attributes may include breed, temperament, pregnancy and lactation status, age, and social rank. Relatives in the herd, long-term familiarity, and shared experiences have also been shown to affect the strength of these social bonds. Preferred pairs typically eat and rest together, similar to mothers and yearling calves. This indicates that behavioral synchronization is also related to social preference.

Getting By with a Little Help from Their Friends

Social isolation for herd animals is very stressful. Veterinarians note that signs of stress include increased heart rate, vocalization, urination, and defecation. However, researchers have found that cows have lower heart rates and lower levels of agitation when separated from the herd with their preferred partner compared to a non-preferred partner.

When cows experience a long-term separation from their preferred partner, they show significant changes in behavior, physiology, and milk production. However, when the animals are reunited, their behavior returns to normal, indicating that separation—not regrouping—causes the stress response. This indicates that separation, not regrouping, was the cause of a stress response. Researchers believe this suggests that cattle receive social support from preferred partners, which allows the animals to respond to social isolation with less stress.

Calves Are Smarter When Raised with a Buddy

Even young calves can form preferential relationships before they reach 3.5 months old. Researchers found they vocalize less when separated from the herd with a familiar calf than with an unfamiliar calf. Calves raised with a companion are also more socially confident, less fearful, and quicker to learn than calves raised in isolation. Calves that have been housed alone have demonstrated cognitive deficits that impact their ability to adapt to new technologies such as automated feeders and robotic milkers. Researchers stress that calves’ early social contacts have a continued influence on their social interactions as adults.

In agricultural settings, humans often manipulate cattle social groups to meet production requirements. Unfortunately, this process can overlook the animals’ needs, as social isolation and regrouping have been shown to cause fear, anxiety, and stress, which can lead to aggressive behavior and reduced milk production.

Recent research underscores the importance of maintaining stable grouping systems and social housing to reduce separation and support long-term social bonds and positive behaviors. These strategies not only ensure the welfare of the animals but also help them deal with situational challenges, resulting in fewer negative consequences for production.