Degree project: The hiding calf

Last changed: 04 March 2024

Is domestic cattle a "hider species", and if so, who determines the calf hiding place – cow or calf?

Cattle kept under natural, pasture-based conditions often hide their new-born calves. There are indications that the cow actively hides the calf before walking off to graze with the herd, but there are also sporadic observations that the calf is the initiator of hiding, and thus also determines the hiding place. This study investigates who initiates the hiding place, and discusses how this knowledge can be used in the management of new born calves and their dams on pasture. The project will include field observations in an outdoor environment.