Farm Animal Ethology

Farm animal ethology is the scientific study of the behavior of domesticated livestock and poultry, focusing on the expression of species-specific actions and interactions with the environment, humans and other animals. This Research Topic will explore natural and adaptive behaviors, including social dynamics, communication, feeding behavior, stereotypies and maternal behavior. It also investigates how factors such as housing systems, nutrition, and handling practices influence animal welfare, behavior and productivity. Understanding these behavioral patterns is crucial for developing farming systems that prioritize animal welfare and promote positive affective states, while maintaining good productivity. By bridging behavioral science and practical application, farm animal ethology contributes to responsible farming practices that align ethical considerations with economic viability and environmental impact in one health approach.

The goal of this Research Topic is to advance understanding of farm animal behavior and its implications for welfare, health, performance, and responsible farming practices. This Research Topic seeks to highlight research that explores behavioral patterns, adaptive responses, and interactions among livestock in diverse environments. Topics of interest include social dynamics, stress and coping mechanisms, environmental enrichment, communication, and the influence of management systems on animal behavior. By providing a platform for innovative studies, we aim to bridge the gap between ethological insights and practical applications, fostering improvements in husbandry techniques, and welfare standards. Contributions addressing emerging challenges, such as climate change, precision livestock farming, and impacts of genetic selection, are particularly encouraged. This Research Topic aspires to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration and provide actionable knowledge for stakeholders, ensuring that the evolving demands of animal production are met while promoting animal welfare.

This Research Topic focuses on farm animal behavior, addressing the latest advances in understanding livestock and poultry behavior and its applications to welfare, productivity, and responsible farming. We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies on topics such as:
- Animal and human interactions;
- Environmental enrichment;
- Livestock coping mechanisms;
- Precision livestock farming;
- Social interactions;
- Stereotypic behaviors;
- Stress;
- The impact of management systems on behavior;
- Time budget studies;
- Affective emotional states;
- and much more!

Contributions exploring innovative approaches, emerging challenges, and interdisciplinary perspectives are highly encouraged. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process to ensure quality and relevance.

For detailed submission instructions and deadlines, please refer to the journal’s author guidelines. We look forward to receiving your contributions to advance this critical field of research.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: animal production, behavior, livestock, time budget, poultry, pigs, horses, ruminants

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.