The interconnection of hierarchy, affiliative behaviours, and social play shapes social dynamics in Maremmana beef cattle

• Published in: Applied animal behaviour science Vol. 260; p. 105868
• Main Authors: Bagnato, Samuel, Pedruzzi, Luca, Goracci, Jacopo, Palagi, Elisabetta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.2023
• Subjects: adulthood; Allogrooming; animal behavior; Animal welfare; Beef cattle; Dominance relationships; Ethogram; observational studies; Play fighting; Dominance relationships; Allogrooming; Beef cattle; Animal welfare; Ethogram; Play fighting

Dominance hierarchies can be interconnected with behaviours that are essential to manage social living, such as affiliative behaviours and social play, whose importance can already emerge in the early phases of life. Here, we carried out an observational study (all occurrences sampling) to investiga...