Animal enrichment programs are common in zoos where they provide a creative outlet for physical activity and mental exercise, but they could also perform an important function on dairy farms.
Rhiannon Cox is in the fourth year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at the University of Tasmania, which is delivered by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA). She's returned to her hometown in North-West Tasmania to run a six-week trial at TIA's Dairy Research Facility at Elliott as part of her honours research project.
"My research project is looking at the role of enrichments, or toys, in the calf shed. I'm studying what type of enrichment activities the calves appear interested in and choose to interact with. I'm also looking at the connection with reduced stress levels and increased weight gain which are important indicators for calves," Miss Cox said.
"Previous research has found the environment in a calf shed has a significant impact on the welfare of dairy cows and can set them up for life. We're aiming to identify practical things that farmers can easily implement on their farm without spending lots of money."
Miss Cox said enrichment activities that allow animals to display biologically relevant behaviours (e.g. suckling) appear to be more beneficial than objects that don't serve any real purpose such as a bouncy ball.
"You see children playing with toys all the time as a way of emulating behaviours and animals aren't so different. The calves have instincts they want to practice and learn, and you see this when they suckle and chew on everything," Miss Cox said.
"Calves will often suckle on fixtures in the calf pen, bedding or other animals and this can lead to health problems. The introduction of enrichment activities can safely redirect behaviour and will hopefully lead to animals that are less stressed and more productive later in life.
"Hopefully they'll be tired after playing with the enrichment toys and will go for a nap, instead of becoming bored and going to nibble on their friend's ear or something that is not safe."
Miss Cox has set-up cameras near the calf pens to record video footage and see how the calves interact with the toys while humans are not around. The three toys being assessed in this trial are balls filled with hay, bouncy balls and an object called a teething star.
She said happier and healthier calves is an important issue for farmers and consumers alike.
"It's not just people who buy a steak or buy the milk off the shelves that want the cows to be happy. Farmers and other people that work with the cows want them to be happy. They bond with the animals, and I know farmers that will pause to give their cows a scratch behind the head at milking time," Miss Cox said.
"We bond with the cows that we're taking care and it's important to know that they are happy, and enrichment activities in a calf pen can play an important role."
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