Cow comfort, behavior and welfare with specific reference to dairy cattle: A review

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Cow comfort is a significant consideration in dairy farming worldwide. Providing an ideal microclimate could offer a comfortable environment for the dairy cows and is essential to ensure a positive relationship with the health condition and productivity so that the animals can adapt and produce optimally. In such an environment, cows should be able to express natural behavior patterns, which are important for their well-being and overall comfort. Various measures have been developed to evaluate and monitor cow welfare and comfort, including examining aspects such as behavior, management and their correlation with thermal stress and economic implications. This article provides details on the different measures used to assess cow comfort, behavioral adjustments, and strategies to manage thermal stress. It also highlights various features that help cows adapt to these conditions, offering valuable insights for enhancing dairy cow management practices. Cow comfort indices are used to assess the comfort and welfare aspects of dairy cows based on four behavioral patterns such as lying down, standing, feeding, and drinking. Indicators of good cow comfort in the dairy farming system include improved milk production, improved reproduction, improved feed intake, most resting time, reduction of injuries, absence of lameness, better adaptation, better health, and better economic efficiency. Thus, there is a need to have a thorough understanding and implementation of physiological and behavioral adaptive features that would help to formulate better management strategies for dairy cows to be comfortable and produce at ease. This will ensure an optimum economic return for dairy farms.