Laterality (sidedness) is commonly observed with dairy cows. Really? Apparently, cattle express laterality naturally when choosing which side to lie down on or which side of the milking parlor to enter, according to Rick Grant. He says behaviorists believe that expression of a side preference is related to the cow’s emotional state and what they perceive as stressful or even threatening in a given situation.
Cows that passed on the right side, using their left eye to view the novel person, were more likely than those that used the left side to be anxious and raise or tuck their tail, sniff the ground, and walk more slowly.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, November 23, 2018. Link.
The results of this study showed that cows passing an unknown person on the right side are more likely to be anxious and are more likely to be higher-producing cows.
INSIGHTS: Attention sales representatives! If you’ve struggled to start new conversations with dairy customers, this article will help.