COWS are being made just as miserable as humans by lockdown, boffins say.
Many of us have had periods of feeling down and depressed over the past year, especially when largely having to stay at home.
And cattle may be affected in similar ways when they have no access to the outdoors, scientists say.
In humans, gloomy moods are linked to negative judgments — depression and anxiety sufferers tend to expect fewer positive outcomes in life.
By contrast, happy emotions and moods are linked to more optimistic judgments.
Scientists studied a herd of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows.
They found those which had been kept indoors for a period were more likely to go to a bucket they knew contained food than one which may not.
Researchers said this suggested they had a more negative expectation of the chance bucket than cows kept at pasture.
Dr Gareth Arnott, of Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Animal welfare scientists and dairy consumers have long been concerned that depriving dairy cattle of pasture access harms welfare.
“Pasture access can promote natural behaviour, improve cows’ health and cows, given the choice, spend most of their time outside.”
Colleague Andrew Crump said: “Our results indicate that pasture is a more rewarding environment for dairy cows, which may induce more positive emotional wellbeing.”
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