Understanding and promoting animal welfare is an essential part of achieving sustainability in food animal production. To this end, the applied research questions in our program follow these broad themes:

• Understanding the needs of farmed animals from a biological, species- and life-stage-appropriate perspective: what behaviors are important for them to be able to express and what resources do they need?
  
• Improving the fit between farmed animals and their environments: how do housing, management, and handling decisions affect behavior, physiology, and production?
  
• How do we evaluate animal welfare effectively in both research and commercial farm settings?

Database profiles

• Dr. Van Os: Google Scholar | ORCID
• Dr. Adcock: Google Scholar

Peer-reviewed publications

Topic: Calf and heifer social rearing and behavior

• Reyes, Faith S., Amanda R. Gimenez, Kaylee M. Anderson, Emily K. Miller-Cushon, Joao R. Dorea, and Jennifer M.C. Van Os. 2022. Impact of stationary brush quantity on brush use in group-housed dairy heifers. Animals 12:972. doi:10.3390/ani12080972.
• Salter, Rekia S., Kimberly J. Reuscher, and Jennifer M.C. Van Os. 2021. Milk- and starter-feeding strategies to reduce cross sucking in pair-housed calves in outdoor hutches. Journal of Dairy Science 104:6096-6112. doi:10.3168/jds.2020-19380. [*Featured as JDS Editor’s Choice: open access pdf]
• Miller-Cushon, Emily and Jennifer Van Os. 2021. Advances in understanding behavioral needs and improving the welfare of calves and heifers. In Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of dairy cattle, edited by Marcia Endres. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK.
• Jennifer M.C. Van Os, Savannah A. Goldstein, Daniel M. Weary, and Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk. 2021. Stationary brush use in naive dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 104:12019-12029. doi:10.3168/jds.2021-20467.
• Jennifer M.C. Van Os, Geoffrey S.S. Nemeth, Daniel M. Weary, and Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk. 2021. Strategies to encourage freestall use in dairy heifers. JDS Communications 2:403-408. doi:10.3168/jds.2021-0118.

Topic: Environment and stress

• Chung, Hanwook, Jiengjie Li, Younghyun Kim, Jennifer M. C. Van Os, Sabrina H. Brounts, and Christopher Y. Choi. 2020. Using implantable biosensors and wearable scanners to monitor dairy cattle’s core body temperature in real-time. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 174:105453. doi:10.1016/j.compag.2020.105453.
• Van Os, Jennifer M. C. 2019. Considerations for cooling dairy cows with water. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 35:157-173. doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.10.009. (Invited review in Housing to Optimize Comfort, Health and Productivity of Dairy Cattle, edited by Nigel B. Cook)
• Wang, Xiaoshuai, Hongding Gao, Kifle G. Gebremedhin, Bjarne Schmidt Bjerg, Jennifer Van Os, Cassandra B. Tucker, Guoqiang Zhang. 2018. A predictive model of Equivalent Temperature Index for dairy cattle (ETIC). Journal of Thermal Biology 76:165-170. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.07.013.
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Carolyn L. Stull, David N. Ledgerwood, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2017. Muddy conditions reduce hygiene and lying time in dairy cattle and increase time spent on concrete. Journal of Dairy Science 100:2090-2103. doi:10.3168/jds.2016-11972. [Author presentation: Elsevier Audioslides or YouTube (4:03)]
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Karin E. Schütz, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2016.Cooling cows efficiently with water spray: Behavioral, physiological, and production responses to sprinklers at the feed bunk. Journal of Dairy Science 99:4607–4618. doi:10.3168/jds.2015-10714. [*Featured as JDS Editor’s Choice: open access pdf; author presentation: Elsevier Audioslides or YouTube (4:22)]
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Karin E. Schütz, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2016. Sprinkler flow rate affects dairy cattle avoidance of spray to the head, but not overall, in an aversion race. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 179:23-31. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2016.03.007.
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Karin E. Schütz, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2016. Sprinkler flow rate affects dairy cattle preferences, heat load, and insect-deterrence behavior. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 182:1-8.doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2016.05.023.
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Karin E. Schütz, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2015. Cooling cows efficiently with sprinklers: Physiological responses to water spray. Journal of Dairy Science 98:6925-6938. doi:10.3168/jds.2015-9434. [Dataset doi:10.25338/B88P7H]
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Karin E. Schütz, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2013. Dairy cows use and prefer feed bunks fitted with sprinklers. Journal of Dairy Science 96:5035-5045. doi:10.3168/jds.2012-6282.

Topic: Painful procedures

• Drwencke, A.M., Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2023. Wound healing and pain sensitivity following caustic paste disbudding in dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science. 106: 6375–6387.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Downey, B.C., Owens, C., Tucker, C.B. 2023. Behavioral changes in the first 3 weeks after disbudding in dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science. 106: 6365–6374.
• Reedman, C.N., Duffield, T.F., DeVries, T.J., Lissemore, K.D., Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B., Parsons, S.D., Winder, C.B. 2022. Impact of plane of nutrition and analgesic drug treatment on wound healing following cautery disbudding in preweaned dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science. 105: 6220-6239.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2022. Buffering lidocaine heightens aversion to cornual nerve injections in dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 105: 4490-4497.
• Adcock, S.J.J. 2021. Early life painful procedures: Long-term consequences and implications for farm animal welfare. Frontiers in Animal Science 2:759522.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2021. Injury alters motivational trade-offs in calves during the healing period. Scientific Reports 11:6888.
• J. Saraceni, C.B. Winder, D.L. Renaud, C. Miltenburg, E. Nelson, J.M.C. Van Os. 2021. Disbudding and dehorning practices for preweaned dairy calves by farmers in Wisconsin, USA. Journal of Dairy Science 104:11995-12008.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Cruz, D., Tucker, C.B. 2020. Behavioral changes in calves 11 days after cautery disbudding: Effect of local anesthesia. Journal of Dairy Science 103:8518-8525.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2020. The effect of early burn injury on sensitivity to future painful stimuli in dairy heifers. PLoS ONE 15:e0233711.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2020. Conditioned place preference reveals ongoing pain in calves 3 weeks after disbudding. Scientific Reports 10:3849.
• Alvarez, L., Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2019. Sensitivity and wound healing after hot-iron disbudding in goat kids. Journal of Dairy Science 102:10152–10162.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Vieira, S.K., Alvarez, L., Tucker, C.B. 2019. Iron and laterality effects on healing of cautery disbudding wounds in dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 102:10163-10172. 
• Jimenez, R.E., Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2019. Acute pain responses in dairy calves undergoing cornual nerve blocks with or without topical anesthetic. Journal of Dairy Science 102:3431-3438. 
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2018. The effect of disbudding age on healing and pain sensitivity in dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 101:10361–10373. 
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B., Weerasinghe, G., Rajapaksha, E. 2018. Communication: Branding practices on four dairies in Kantale, Sri Lanka. Animals 8:137. 
• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2018. Painful procedures: When and what should we be measuring? In: Advances in Cattle Welfare, Tucker, C.B. (Ed), Elsevier, Duxford, United Kingdom. p.157-198.

Topic: Welfare assessment and sampling

• Van Os, Jennifer M. C., Daniel M. Weary, Joao H. C. Costa, Maria J. Hötzel, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk. 2019. Sampling strategies for assessing lameness, injuries, and body condition score on dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science 102:8290–8304. doi:10.3168/jds.2018-15134. [open access]
• Van Os, Jennifer M. C., Christoph Winckler, Julia Trieb, Soraia V. Matarazzo, Terry W. Lehenbauer, John D. Champagne, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2018. Reliability of sampling strategies for measuring dairy cattle welfare on commercial farms. Journal of Dairy Science 101:1495-1504.doi:10.3168/jds.2017-13611. [Author presentation: Elsevier Audioslides or YouTube (4:59)]
• Chen (Van Os), Jennifer M., Karin E. Schütz, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2016. Technical note: Comparison of instantaneous sampling and continuous observation of dairy cattle behavior in freestall housing. Journal of Dairy Science 99:8341-8346. doi:10.3168/jds.2016-11351.

Topic: Feeding motivation

• Van Os, Jennifer M. C., Erin M. Mintline, Trevor J. DeVries, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2018. Domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus) are motivated to obtain forage and will demonstrate contrafreeloading. PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193109. [*Featured on front page of PLoS ONE website; open access]
• Van Os, Jennifer M. C., Erin M. Mintline, Trevor J. DeVries, and Cassandra B. Tucker. 2017. Motivation of naïve feedlot cattle to obtain grain and individual responses to novelty. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 197:68-74. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.001.

Topic: Other

• Adcock, S.J.J., Tucker, C.B. 2020. Naïve domestic Bos taurus calves recognize the scent of a canine predator. Animal Behaviour. 164:173-180.
• Adcock, S.J.J., Martin, G.M, Walsh, C.J. 2015. The stress response and exploratory behaviour in Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa): Relations to sex and social rank. Physiology & Behavior 152:194-202.