How Cattle See And How It Might Influence Decisions Regarding Preparation And Administering Of Cattle Treatment

With their eyes positioned on the side of the head, cattle have a panoramic vision of 330° and binocular vision of 25°–50°, which allows for good predator awareness (Phillips, 1993). Despite the wide set of their eyes, however, they do have a blind spot directly behind them (see below).

Cattle have slit-shaped pupils and weak eye muscles, which inhibits their ability to focus quickly on objects.

Cattle can distinguish long wavelength colours (yellow, orange and red) much better than the shorter wavelengths (blue, grey and green), which may have aided their response and survival when a herd member was attacked, and blood was spilt. Cattle can distinguish all colours from a grey background except blue and have poor depth perception. Because of this poor depth perception and lack of definition, cattle will often baulk and refuse to cross a shadow or drain grate and are best moved through diffuse light.

While grazing, cattle constantly sniff the pasture, but it is not known if plants are rejected on the basis of odour. Cattle can distinguish smell, e.g. they will baulk at the smell of blood and offal. The sense of touch is important in determining which herbage is rejected or preferred. The secondary/special olfactory system can detect pheromones, volatile chemicals that are important in reproduction and feed selection

The ears of cattle are very sensitive. Cattle can be calmed by playing soothing music or stressed by loud noises such as yelling. Dairy breeds are more sensitive to sound and touch than beef breeds, high-pitched sounds, such as the whistle used to control most farm dogs, will increase the animals’ heart rates. Hearing in cattle is important in inter-and intra-species communication.

Cattle flight zones can vary greatly. Feedlot cattle may move away from people, especially strangers, entering their flight zone of 1.5m, whereas less handled range cattle have a flight zone of 30m

Coetaneous sensitivity can be used to calm cattle by scratching under the neck and behind the ears, areas they find difficult to access.

Sensory input at the level of the penis is important for sexual behaviour during mounting.

Older cattle grazing on open fields will spend less time grazing than younger cattle due to their experience and learned paddock patterns.