Foster care psychotropic prescribing regulations are complex and insufficient.

Optimization of the housed environment for livestock is of great significance for meeting production potential whilst ensuring animal welfare needs are achieved. There are large variations in the housing being provided to dairy cows globally, and the overall impacts of these differences are largely unknown. An objective method for quantifying short, medium and long-term effects on animal physiology, based on their environment, is necessary to provide evidence for current standards as well as to aid in the assessment of the impact of interventions. Welfare assessment of housed dairy cows is complex, as it is currently subjective and snapshot-like in nature. Thus, fundamental knowledge gaps exist regarding how the industry can ensure positive welfare, within the housed conditions it provides, and the fundamental physiological changes this elicits. Positive welfare is defined as “the animal flourishing through the experience of predominantly positive mental states and the development of competence and resilience”. This encompasses several different aspects for assessment, including emotions, positively motivated behaviours, and quality of life. It builds on the existing frameworks of the five freedoms and domains, which historically have focused on preventing negative welfare states. There have been several research articles relating to positive welfare initiatives within the dairy industry. This new approach is designed to progress the industry into providing environments and management techniques which are designed for positive affective states. There is a growing societal and scientific focus on the importance of providing positive experiences to farmed animals to ensure an acceptable quality of life. Environmental enrichment gives the chance to provide positive inputs into management systems. Outdoor loafing yards provide environmental choice, opportunities for exploration, and are seen favourably by consumers. In lactating cattle, there have been various research articles which describe how the implementation of living space areas impacts dairy cow production and behavior. Cow preference for loafing areas has also been explored, with these areas being utilized more dependent on climate, substrate, space allowance and oestrous activity. Thus, it is well described that cows will utilize these areas, but the fundamental reasons why have yet to be described.