Lack of sleep may be considered an animal welfare concern, and scientists hope to lay the foundation for future research, reports Dairy Herd Management.
A variety of factors may influence sleep. Cattle in the 2019 study were housed at different farms and exposed to different management routines. While the timing of sleep differed among farms, the overall duration of sleep remained similar, suggesting management routine did not influence total sleep hours. Rather, differences in sleep over the lactation cycle may be influenced by cows’ day-to-day needs.
