The availability of outdoor spaces enhances social play in dairy cows

Social behaviors are widely recognized as valuable indicators of animal welfare. This study examined the behavioral profiles of two groups of cows: one with daytime access to an open outdoor area and one housed exclusively in a free-stall barn. Observations were conducted when both groups were in the same indoor environment, allowing for a direct comparison of their behavioral expressions. Cows with outdoor access engaged significantly more in social play, while no statistically significant differences were observed for other social behaviors such as allogrooming, social rubbing, or submission/avoidance. Since play behavior typically emerges under favorable psychological conditions, these findings suggest that outdoor access during the day contributes to enhanced psychological wellbeing, with positive effects that persist even when cows return to the confined barn setting. In contrast, negative social interactions such as submission/ avoidance were expressed at similar levels across both groups, indicating that access to open space may not be sufficient to mitigate all forms of social stress.