It is well established that children benefit massively from playing with different types of toys. They help them to develop crucial skills, learn, socialise, and cooperate. New research is now looking into the benefits of giving calves things to play with. It is a really interesting area and could potentially lead to big improvements in herd health and wellbeing. We want to have a closer look here, then you can order farm toys from us if you want any.

The research

Researchers from the University of Reading have been looking to create better environments for calves. They’ve had a look at how toys can help improve behaviour, learning, and comfort. The latter is particularly important when it comes to disbudding.

The most important finding is toys and enrichment has a massive impact on calves. They can help them to more effectively deal with stressful events like disbudding. Crucially, they encourage more socialising, play, and investigation. In addition, they reduce standing time and negative behaviours.

Be careful with barren environments

Many farmers focus on maximising milk production. As a result, they make very few investments in enrichment for calves such as farm toys. This is missing a real opportunity to improve health and wellbeing.

The main issue is farms can be barren environments for calves. It can lead to serious problems, including dull, bored animals. They can develop behavioural issues such as head butting and aggression. In some cases they can simply become mischievous, biting and chewing things they shouldn’t. Sadly, it can even lead to a higher risk of infections and health concerns.

The solution is to enrich the environments, ensuring they aren’t barren. Different types of toys can work wonders, including balls, broom heads, ropes, and more. Most importantly, give them the chance to play, exercise their curiosity, and socialise.

An important thing to think about though is disinfection. Disease and infection control is vital for happy, healthy herds. So, plastic farm toys are a good option. They are easy to disinfect and sterilise. If possible, ensure you have several groups of toys so you can rotate while you are disinfecting.

Think about how calves spend their days

The most important thing if you want to maximise calf health is to look at how they spend their days. Ideally, large parts of each day should be spent sleeping and eating. However, it is also a good idea to give them toys to enrich other times. It will prevent boredom and issues.

Exceptional farm toys for children

As you can see, toys are fantastic for improving health and wellbeing. That is true for children as well as calves. Ultimately, you should ensure you have the right ones to provide stimulation and enrichment.

If you want wonderful Bruder farm toys, we have some really impressive products. They include realistic vehicles that are fun and work just like the real ones. As a result, play also becomes learning.

So, if you want to learn more about the products we have, please let us know.