Dynamics of social hierarchy in a dairy herd

Factors which lead to social rank tension and dynamics of social hierarchy were analysed in a herd of dairy cattle. Socioethological characteristics were evaluated by means of the Dominance Value (DV) and the Index of Aggression (IA) which were computed for each animal of the herd. The analysis of interrelationships between DV--IA--seniority--body weight--individual pecularities elucidated some impulses of social rank dynamics.