Hierarchy in loose housed domestic cows (Bos Taurus) and the usage of electronic feeders

(seven individuals of different ages) and how it was affected by age and weight. We also studied how different animals utilized the electronic feeders that are used to provide the cows with concentrates and if the dominant individuals used it more than the less dominant in the small pen. We studied the utilization of the electronic feeders in a larger pen with 28 individuals to see if there was a difference in usage here as well. (The study was performed on the Vreta gymnasium just outside the city of Linköping). We established a socio metric matrix to determine the dominance hierarchy in the small pen. Through continuous recording we observed the frequency and duration of visits to the electronic feeders. We concluded that there was an observable dominance hierarchy and that it had a correlation with the age and weight of the animals. We could also conclude that less dominant individuals actually used the electronic feeders more than the more dominant individuals, contrary to our hypothesis.