Everyone knows the satisfaction of having an itch scratched, and researchers at the University of British Columbia say cows appear to feel the same way.

A study from the animal welfare program at the school found dairy cows want to use a scratching brush just as much as they want to access fresh feed.

The programB次元官网网址檚 Prof. Marina von Keyserlingk, one of six co-authors of the report, said in nature, cows are outside and use trees and other abrasive surfaces to scratch themselves. But when theyB次元官网网址檙e kept in a barn, scratching is almost impossible.

A scratching brush looks similar to a small bristled roller in a car wash. When the animal steps into or under the brush, it automatically begins rolling.

While researchers found that the cows liked using the brush for an average of seven minutes a day, they werenB次元官网网址檛 sure how important it was to get that scratch.

The researchers used a preference test for the cows and it showed they were willing to push through a weighted barrier to gain access to the brush just as much as they were willing to push through for fresh feed, von Keyserlingk said.

B次元官网网址淵ou know what itB次元官网网址檚 like to have an itch in those hard-to-get places,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪o this allows them to really groom those hard-to-get places.B次元官网网址�

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Von Keyserlingk said they found the brush appeared to help the cattle reduce stress.

B次元官网网址淔or me, what I also think about is if sheB次元官网网址檚 super itchy and she canB次元官网网址檛 alleviate that itch, it could be that she could be really frustrated,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 know what a frustrated cow necessarily looks like, because we havenB次元官网网址檛 really looked in this context, but it could actually improve her emotional state.B次元官网网址�

Published in the journal Biology Letters on Wednesday, the study says in some countries, including Denmark, providing cows with access to resources that promote coat care is mandatory.

B次元官网网址淐attle with access to mechanical brushes are clean and spend about fivefold more time grooming compared with when brushes are not available, suggesting that these brushes are important to the cow,B次元官网网址� the study says.

B次元官网网址淚 think brushes should be part of standard management practice, standard housing systems,B次元官网网址� von Keyserlingk said.

She said they arenB次元官网网址檛 sure why the cows like to groom themselves. It could be to get rid of dirt or, just like most mammals, they get itchy once in a while.

In the past, science has tended to focus on animal welfare by looking at all animals, but von Keyserlingk said that this study looks deeper.

B次元官网网址淲e know that not all animals are identical and so IB次元官网网址檓 really interested in this individual variation. Because itB次元官网网址檚 the individual animal that has the ability to suffer. So looking at these types of things, we can get a better insight into individual differences.B次元官网网址�

She couldnB次元官网网址檛 say that if a farmer added the brushes to their barn, they might have an increase in milk production, but the cattle could be more comfortable.

B次元官网网址淚 think that thereB次元官网网址檚 a growing body of evidence now that having these brushes is good for the cows.B次元官网网址�

Terri Theodore , The Canadian Press

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