@article{xu_relationship_2026,

title = {The Relationship between Personality Traits Expressed in Dairy Cattle and its Effects on Social Enrichment Response: A Scoping Review},

author = {Xu (Aimee) Xu and Rachel Vliet and Marjo Cellier and Nadège Aigueperse and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6710298},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-05-01},

journal = {SSRN},

abstract = {The rising demand for food has promoted the usage of intensive systems that often leave animals living in restrained environments. Enrichments have been introduced to improve well-being and allow for natural behaviours, yet they frequently lack customization for individual needs. Understanding individual differences in behaviour that are consistent over time and contexts, commonly referred to as personalities, may enhance enrichment efficacy and animal welfare. This scoping review examines the role of social enrichment in dairy cows, exploring how personality traits influence responses to these interventions. Following PRISMA guidelines, a multi-step screening process identified 34 primary research papers. This review explores behavioural variables, the types of social enrichment used, and their connections to personality, aiming to uncover practical insights for management practices and welfare improvement. Findings reveal that most studies lacked clear frameworks for defining personality dimensions. This is likely due to the complex interconnections between personality traits and the behavioural variables associated with them. Although much of the existing literature focuses on how enrichment affects animal behaviour, few studies have examined how inherent personality traits might shape individual responses to enrichment interventions. This gap limits the ability to determine whether observed behavioural outcomes are truly reflective of underlying personality, or primarily responses to environmental stimuli. To address these issues, this review proposed practical frameworks based on observed behavioural variables and their potential links to personality traits. While the Five-Factor Model (FFM), adapted from human psychology, offers a useful structure, the frameworks remain flexible to accommodate other theoretical models used in animal personality research. Future research should focus on developing validated, consistent behavioural tests that reliably assess personality traits in dairy cattle.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{zhu_advancing_2026,

title = {Advancing Dairy Locomotion Analysis with Biomechanical Insights from Kinetic and Kinematic Measurements},

author = {Junsheng Zhu and Shabnaz Mokhtarnazif and Gabriel M. Dallago and Abdoulaye M. Diallo and Elsa Vasseur and Kevin Wade},

url = {https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-9708073/v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9708073/v1},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-05-01},

journal = {Research Square},

abstract = {Lameness is a significant problem on numerous dairy farms, jeopardizing both profitability and animal welfare. In this study, kinetic measurements (examining the pressure distribution images of four hooves while a cow is standing statically on a pressure map) and kinematics (analyzing body markers of walking cows) were used to further understand this illness condition. The kinetic data contained 66 records measured 3 times from twenty-three cows (3 missing records) with binary target labels including 8 lame cases and 58 sound cases. Kinetic pressure images were used to extract variables and transform them by asymmetric indices with several machine-learning algorithms. For the asymmetric transformed dataset, artificial neural networks yielded the highest F1 score of 72% for binary lameness detection. Furthermore, deep learning models were applied to identify different pressure distribution patterns with an F1 score of 88%. It was found that depth-first search was highly effective in locating and extracting information from isolated pressure areas. The kinematic measurements included twenty markers on different positions of 69 walking passages from twenty-three different cows, measured over three periods. Target variables comprised six gait attributes: leg swing, back arch, track up, flexion, asymmetric gait, and weight bearing, as well as an overall locomotion ability score. The prediction task was a multiclass classification of specific locomotion scores ranging from 1 to 5. A novel approach was proposed to analyze the trajectory of back markers as waves, resulting in an F1 score of 92% when combined with other gait attribute variables. The static kinetic measurement did not show satisfactory results regarding the prediction of locomotion score compared to kinematic markers. However, deep learning and depth-first search methods enabled the identification of hooves prone to future hoof issues. Furthermore, analyzing gait attributes from kinematic data – particularly the track-up and the trajectory of back markers – produced a satisfactory outcome and suggested the potential value of kinematic measurements as an early-lameness detection tool.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{amarioarei_scoping_2026,

title = {A Scoping Review of Cognitive Enrichment for Young Cattle and its Implications for Welfare and Agricultural Practices},

author = {Georgiana Amarioarei and Rachel Vliet and Marjorie Cellier and Nadège Aigueperse and Elise Shepley and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6502358},

doi = {https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6502358},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-04-01},

journal = {SSRN},

abstract = {Cognitive enrichment supports the behavioural needs of animals by engaging their natural instincts and supporting cognitive skills. It distinguishes itself from other types of enrichment by introducing cognitively challenging tasks and promoting mental stimulation. For young cattle, this enrichment type is necessary for supporting healthy development and well-being. This scoping review seeks to assess the current state of literature on the effects of cognitive enrichment on young domestic bovine. This is substantial for understanding welfare benefits and possible implications for efficiency and sustainability of farming practices. A comprehensive search of databases Scopus and Web of Science was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to identify records published between 1970 and 2024. During this period, there were no self-identifying cognitive enrichment publications, which prompted the search strategy expansion to publications relating to cognitive enrichment. After a multi-step screening process, a total of 32 studies reduced from 13,195 were included in the final analysis. Results of the analysis showed inconsistent definitions of age classification of bovine developmental stages which put limitations on cross-study comparisons and development of recommendations for practical implementation. Secondly, methodological elements like measures and practicality of tests were categorically assessed using our applicability toolkit to investigate potential welfare implications of cognitive enrichment and translatability on farms. In all, our findings suggest cognitive enrichment holds significant promise as a tool for enhancing the welfare of young bovine, though further research is needed to support this claim.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{amarioarei_investigating_2026,

title = {Investigating cognitive enrichment for dairy calves through behavioral measures of participation and engagement: a pilot study},

author = {Georgiana Amarioarei and Marjorie Cellier and Nadège Aigueperse and Tania Wolfe and Elise Shepley and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.01.715895v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.01.715895},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-04-01},

journal = {bioRxiv},

abstract = {Introducing cognitive enrichment from an early age has the potential to enhance an animal’s capacity to learn both simple and complex tasks, promote neural plasticity, and support cognitive development. This is applicable for young cattle who are at a critical stage in their development and could benefit from the influence cognitive enrichment has on their behavioral expression. This study aims to explore the effects cognitive enrichment has on weaned dairy calves through analyzing behavioral measures of voluntary participation and short-term behavioral reactions to enrichment exposure. Our study involved a total of five pairs of weaned calves (n=8 treatment; n=2 control). The treatment groups were presented with three variations of a puzzle box, each equipped with unique challenges that offer different solutions (push, slide, pull). These boxes were provided to the calves twice daily over the span of nine days in an isolated corridor located behind their pen. We hypothesized that motivated calves would consistently engage with cognitive enrichment voluntarily over time and express directed natural behaviors, reflecting sustained participation across repeated trials. Results demonstrated that calves consistently visited the cognitive enrichment area across trials, with an average latency of 75.7 ± 47.0s from the pen to the enrichment. Secondly, the calves spent a significant proportion of trial time within the enrichment area at 65% (870.1 ± 21s). Lastly, all calves expressed a broad range of behaviors in line with their natural exploration within the enrichment area, while the puzzle box treatment groups expressed higher durations of behavioral expressions when compared to the control (F=11.7, p<0.0001). Combined, these results indicate the calves’ motivations to voluntarily participate in a cognitive challenge. While these are promising findings for cognitive enrichment and its applicability to dairy calves, further work is needed to understand broader parameters. Specifically, how can social dynamics influence enrichment interaction in groups, how can this type of enrichment be implemented on farms, and what are the long-term effects to providing cognitive enrichment in the early stages of development.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{arpin_study_2026,

title = {The Study of the Behavioural needs of Dairy Cows Across Common Intensive Housing Systems: A Scoping Literature Review},

author = {Catherine Arpin and Rachel Vliet and Marjorie Cellier and Nadège Aigueperse and Marianne Villettaz Robichaud and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6501798},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-04-01},

journal = {SSRN},

abstract = {Characterizing behavioural needs of farm animals is pivotal in understanding how to build or modify confined environments to satisfy them, a key element of welfare. However, behavioural needs are not well understood, and both their definition and application are inconsistent across the literature, particularly in the case of dairy cows. The objectives of this review are to identify papers that study behavioural needs of dairy cows, identify which needs were studied, how they were studied, and how that changed over time. A scoping review (conducted according to PRISMA guidelines) was completed in 2024 where 11,512 articles were reduced to 144 through a multi-step screening process. Of the remaining articles, only 15% clearly acknowledged the existence of behavioural needs, and there was a lack of consistency in the terms used surrounding this concept. Resting and feeding behaviours were the most studied, as opposed to grooming and exploratory behaviours that were only studied in 16 and 9 articles, respectively. By examining the timeline of when different behavioural categories were studied, it was revealed that the study of behavioural needs in adult dairy cows has evolved greatly in time and was guided by the priorities and the tools available at the time. This review summarises where the concept of behavioural needs fits within the study of dairy cows' welfare, and highlights gaps in the literature. It is imperative that these concepts be better understood and defined in the literature for the study of dairy cow welfare to move forward.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{gonothi_toure_farm-scale_2026,

title = {Farm-Scale Autonomous Welfare Monitoring in Smart Livestock Farming: A Systematic Review of Robotics and Multimodal AI with an Emphasis on the Lab-to-Farm Deployment Gap},

author = {Francois Gonothi Toure and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo and Mounir Boukadoum},

url = {https://www.techrxiv.org/doi/full/10.36227/techrxiv.177138881.15794631/v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.36227/techrxiv.177138881.15794631/},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-02-01},

journal = {TechRxiv},

abstract = {While breakthroughs in autonomous robotics and multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) promise continuous, realtime monitoring for precision livestock farming, their practical on-farm application faces significant limitations, revealing a critical "lab-to-farm" deployment gap that is rooted in fundamental challenges to the embodied AI community: poor model generalization, simulation-to-real fragility, and the absence of standard validation benchmarks. This review highlights today's state of the art in order to understand and bridge the gap. Using a pool of over 900 reviewed articles, we selected 33 studies from 2021 to 2025 to propose recommendations for adopting farm-scale autonomous monitoring. Our review reveals that 67% of robotics research relies on simulation, with no validation in dynamic farm environments. Based on this finding, we propose a technical roadmap focused on three pillars: 1) the use of Generative AI for data standardization and sim-to-real adaptation; 2) the adoption of a "Leave-One-Farm-Out" protocol for rigorous field validation; and 3) the development of Edge-Native systems. Furthermore, we define a Standardized Welfare Insight Schema to facilitate the creation of reproducible datasets, thus enabling the development of truly robust models for livestock welfare.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{arpin_responses_2026,

title = {Responses of dairy cows following a change in housing system and social group: a living lab experiment},

author = {Catherine Arpin and Marjorie Cellier and Tania Wolfe and Hayda Almeida and Celia Julliot and Marianne Villettaz Robichaud and Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.30.702528v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.30.702528},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-02-01},

journal = {bioRxiv},

publisher = {BioRxive},

abstract = {To investigate how the disturbances associated with a relocation to a bedded-pack barn, such as a housing system change, a milking system change and a social regrouping, impacts the behavior of lactating dairy cows, 38 cows from a total of 9 tie-stall or free-stall commercial farms were moved to a newly built bedded-pack barn on an enrollment basis, with a social regrouping occurring after 2 weeks. Scan sampling of video data was done to assess behavior expression in the pen, and live data was collected to assess milking reactivity and animal handling procedures. Results indicate that the cows adapted quickly to the relocation to the new housing system as there were no changes in the locations in the pen, the body positions or the behaviors of cows in time between arrival and regrouping. The social regrouping had a bigger impact with a decrease in 16% of the observed time spent lying and an increase of 9.7% of the observed time spent feeding. Cows also adapted quickly to the milking procedures with a rapid decrease in the occurrence of negative social interactions between cows at the parlor, and in needing less human-animal manipulations and less time to be brought to the parlor. The housing system of origin had a slight effect on behaviors with cows from tie-stalls spending 1.7 times more of the observed time lying than free-stall cows, and free-stall cows spending 1.6 times more of the observed time feeding than tie-stall cows. This study provides a better understanding of how dairy cows respond to disturbances and is encouraging for producers that need to make changes to their current housing system as cows were shown to be quickly adaptable to the challenges presented to them.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{mokhtarnazif_discovering_2026,

title = {Discovering subclinical effects of limited outdoor access on gait and hoof health of cows housed in movement-restricted environments},

author = {Shabnaz Mokhtarnazif and Amir Nejati and Elise Shepley and Gabriel M. Dallago and Abdoulaye B. Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.28.702303v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.28.702303},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

journal = {bioRxiv},

publisher = {BioRxive},

abstract = {Most common housing systems for dairy cows restrict their movement, which can influence welfare, gait, and hoof health of dairy cows. Outdoor access has been proposed as a management practice to offset these restrictions, but reported effects on cows’ locomotion vary and may not always be captured by traditional clinical assessments. In this study, we investigated gait and hoof through clinical (i.e., visual locomotion scoring and hoof lesion assessment) and subclinical (3D motion analysis, kinetic assessment, hoof infrared thermography and measuring claw conformation) methods to assess how limited provision of outdoor access affects non-lame cows housed in movement restricted environment. Thirty-six Holstein tie-stall cows were either given 1day/week (EX1) or 3days/week (EX3) of outdoor access (1h/day) during 5 consecutive weeks. Clinical and subclinical assessments of gait and hoof were performed before (Pre-trial), after 5 weeks of outing (Post-trial) and 8 weeks after outing (Follow-up). The results of this study revealed no clinical effect of outdoor access on cows’ locomotion score and hoof lesion prevalence. However, for subclinical assessment, both groups showed an increase in stride and stance time at Post-trial, with an increase in pressure applied by cows while standing in EX3 group and a reduction in coronary band temperature in both groups at Post-trial and Follow-up. Contact area and claw conformation changed after provision of outdoor access in both groups. This study illustrates that with the use of subclinical methods; we can reveal effects of outdoor access on gait and hoof health that might not be visible using the traditional methods.},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{julliot_use_2025,

title = {The use of kinematics to quantify gait attributes and predict gait scores in dairy cows},

author = {Celia Julliot and Gabriel M. Dallago and Amir Nejati and Abdoulaye B. Diallo and Elsa Vasseur},

url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.17847},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2512.17847},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-12-01},

journal = {arXiv},

publisher = {arXive},

abstract = {Detecting walking pattern abnormalities in dairy cows early on holds the potential to reduce the occurrence of clinical lameness. This study aimed to predict gait scores in non-clinically lame dairy cows by using gait attributes based on kinematic data. Markers were placed on 20 anatomical landmarks on 12 dairy cows. The cows were walked multiple times through a corridor while recorded by six cameras, representing 69 passages. Specific gait attributes were computed from the 3D coordinates of the hoof markers. Gait was visually assessed using a 5-point numerical rating system (NRS). Due to the limited number of observations with NRS lower than 2 (n = 1) and higher than 3 (n = 6), the NRS labels were combined into three groups, representing NRS <= 2},

keywords = {Preprint},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}