A study of the investigatory behavior of the dairy cow

Abstract

A commission to investigate the possible ingestion by dairy cattle of air-dropped wildlife baits for vaccination against sylvatic rabies provided an excellent opportunity for a detailed study of bovine investigatory behavior. Twelve unarmed baits (half of which were placed in a bag with liver slurry serving as a fox attractant) were placed in each of two pastures. A group of 9 cows was then allowed to graze freely on each of the pastures from approximately 08.00 to 15.00 h for 5 consecutive days. Continuous direct observation revealed that the tendency of the cows to approach the baits varied with the type of bait encountered, and habituated over the 5-day study. However, once an investigation was initiated, the likelihood of contacting the bait and the manner in which the bait was contacted was not readily influenced by prior exposure to the baits. The type of bait being investigated did not influence the likelihood of a cow making contact, but did influence the manner in which the bait was contacted. Flehmen, which only occurred following head contact with a bait, most commonly followed mouth or tongue contact and was less likely to be employed as cows habituated to the objects being investigated.