The Dairy Cattle Housing Dilemma: Natural Behavior Versus Animal Care

Animal welfare has historically been defined at the intersection of 3 key concepts: (1) health and biological functioning, (2) affective state, and (3) natural living. For farmed animals, such as dairy cattle, health and biological functioning are often prioritized, sometimes at the expense of natural living. In this work, the authors discuss the perceived conflict between the duty of care exercised by producers and the resulting consequences to natural behavior expression. They also provide considerations on how indoor housing systems for dairy cattle may be refined to better permit natural behaviors, with particular emphasis on animals' motivational priorities.