Spring 2020 – Cattle Social Network Analysis

Social mixing (e.g., commingling) is common in feedyard cattle management, yet there is a dearth of information regarding the impact of social mixing on the formation of social hierarchies and the impact of social rank on feedlot cattle behavior and performance. Social mixing and social status impact productivity in other species. Each time dairy cows are socially mixed, they will reestablish social hierarchies (i.e., determination of social ranks or dominance within a group) through agonistic physical and nonphysical interactions characterized by aggressive and submissive behaviors (Kondo and Hurnik, 1990). The duration of time needed to reestablish a stable social hierarchy can take as little as three to five days or as long as seven to fourteen days (Grant and Albright, 1995, 2001). However, there is a dearth of information about the impact of social mixing itself on the establishment of social hierarchies in feedlot cattle, as well as cattle performance and welfare. For this project two groups of steers from two locations were shipped to the USDA feedlot in Amarillo, Texas. They were randomly allocated to one of two treatments, Mixed or Not Mixed. Their behavior was video recorded over a set period of days until the trails completion. Using the video we are recording social interactions between individuals in each pen along with drinking behavior. I will be analyzing the social interaction data using RStudio to look at the social network characteristics of each pen and how that changes over time.