The relationships between fear of humans and productivity of livestock observed in commercial settings indicate opportunities to improve animal productivity and welfare. For example, identifying and consequently addressing the factors regulating fear of humans may enable reductions in fear, with possible improvements in the productivity and welfare of farm animals. Handling studies on farm animals under laboratory conditions have shown that human factors are potentially influential in affecting the fear responses of commercial farm animals to humans. In particular, tactile and visual contact appear to be important in affecting fear responses. While genetic effects may be infl uential for naïve animals, experience with humans may ameliorate, maintain or exacerbate the initial fear responses of farm animals to humans.

1. Animal roles 319
2. Animal welfare 6313
3. Dairy cows 470
4. Livestock 317
5. productivity 48
6. welfare 28