Validating the use of pen scores to capture behaviors expressed by cattle unrestrained in a pen
Jamie T Parham, Jessica J Schmidt, Amy E Tanner, Mark L Wahlberg, Temple Grandin, Ronald M Lewis

TL;DR
This study shows that pen scores effectively capture cattle behavior in an unrestrained setting, offering a useful tool for evaluating temperament.
Contribution
The study validates the use of pen scores to assess cattle temperament in a nonrestrained environment.
Findings
Heifers with higher pen scores exhibited larger flight zones and faster movement.
Lower pen scores correlated with calmer behavior and less frequent movement.
Pen scores align well with observed behaviors, supporting their use for temperament evaluation.
Abstract
Many subjective methods exist to assist producers in evaluating temperament. Use of a pen test, which allows behavior to be observed in a nonrestrained setting, may be an effective method to evaluate temperament by allowing more variation among animals to be expressed as compared to a restrained test. The objective of this study was to analyze video recordings of penned calves to determine whether the repertoire of behaviors they expressed was adequately captured by their individual pen score (IPS) and group pen score (GPS). In each of 3 yr, 40 predominantly Angus commercial Bos taurus heifers, 2-wk postweaning , were assessed monthly in 3 consecutive months (recording periods). After routine handling through a weigh crate and squeeze chute, each heifer was released individually into a pen (12 × 6 m). Their response to 30 s of human presence within the pen was evaluated. They were then…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAnimal Behavior and Welfare Studies · Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock · Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
