Behavioral Assessment of Cattle for Improved Performance: The QBA Method
Adéla Višová
ABSTRACT
Animal welfare in modern dairy production increasingly encompasses emotional well-being, which directly affects health, productivity and sustainability. Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) is a non-invasive, whole-animal approach that uses trained observers and fixed lists of behavioural descriptors to evaluate dairy cows’ affective states. This narrative review synthesises evidence from peerreviewed studies and field applications of validated QBA protocols, including recent validations in pasture-based systems. Positive emotional expressions (e.g., relaxed, calm, sociable, curious) are consistently associated with higher milk yield, stable lactation curves and lower disease incidence [1-4,14]. Conversely, negative expressions (fearful, anxious, apathetic, tense) precede or coincide with increased risks of mastitis, lameness and metabolic disorders, exacerbated by poor housing [5-8,11]. Farms routinely applying QBA report earlier detection of welfare issues, reduced veterinary costs and improved reproductive performance, particularly with environmental enrichment [9,10,11]. When integrated with conventional indicators (somatic cell count, locomotion scoring, metabolic profiles), QBA enhances decision-making and supports sustainable herd management [13]. Standardised training and protocol adherence are essential for reliability, accounting for intra-day variations [12]. QBA thus represents a scientifically robust, practical and ethically aligned tool for monitoring emotional welfare in dairy systems, contributing to both animal well-being and farm profitability
