Personality and predictability in farmed calves using movement and space-use behaviours quantified by Ultra-wideband sensors

Individuals within a population often show consistent between individual differences in their average behavioral expression (personality), and consistent differences in their within-individual variability of behavior around the mean (predictability). Where correlations between different personality traits and/or the predictability of traits exist, these represent behavioral or predictability syndromes.  In wild populations, behavioral syndromes have consequences for individual’s survival and reproduction and affect the structure and functioning of groups and populations. The consequences of behavioral syndromes for farm animals is less well explored, partly due to the challenges in quantifying behavior of many individuals across time and context in a farm setting. Here, we use Ultra-Wideband location sensors to provide precise measures of movement and space use for 60 calves over 40-48 days. We find that individuals show consistent within and between individual variation in movement and space use and show correlations in personality and predictability, indicating the existence of “exploratory” and “active” personality types in farmed calves. We consider the consequences of such individual variability for cattle behavior and welfare and how such data may be used to inform management decision in farm animals.