Understanding Animal Welfare and Giving Cows a Voice Through Science with Jennifer Van Os, PhD

What this episode covers

How might dairy science involve dancing and video games? Find out as Matt sits down with Jennifer Van Os, PhD, associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Jennifer’s path to dairy began in an unexpected place—human psychology—where her early love of applied science set her on a course toward solving challenges for farmers and their cows. Today, her motto, “Giving cows a voice through science,” guides her lab’s work on understanding animal welfare and developing accessible tools to improve the physical, behavioral, and social well-being of dairy cows. The two discuss one such tool, Mooving Cows, a gaming app inspired by flight simulators that allows dairy staff to practice cow-handling skills in a safe, interactive way to keep animals calm and secure during daily movements on the farm. Although she never set out to work in gaming, Jennifer explains how cow handling is like a dance, and that direct feedback from her local farming community inspired the active, hands-on learning solution. Beyond technology, Matt and Jennifer discuss broader themes of public perception of dairy welfare, industry resilience, and herd longevity. Jennifer explains why pair housing can be a win-win for both calves and farmers, and why the future of animal welfare may hinge on giving cows more agency through choice. Along the way, she shares career advice from mentors such as Cassandra Tucker and Paul Fricke, and reflects on the vital role of extension specialists in bridging science with daily farm practice to make improvements for farmers and their cows alike.  Episode Thirty-Three Show NotesLearn more about Jennifer Van Os, download the Mooving Cows game, explore other free resources from her AWS@UWM lab, and see more of Jennifer’s work on Instagram, Facebook, or X/Twitter.Curious about the latest animal welfare research and what cool new tools Jennifer’s lab might be working on? Join us at the ADSA 2026 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, next June and submit your research during our call for abstracts, closing February 10, 2026! Are you looking to publish dairy research in 2026? Save on your article costs via the ADSA Loyalty Rewards Program for the Journal of Dairy Science and JDS Communications when you join the ADSA member community! Want a chance to speak directly with—and learn from—dairyscience experts like Jennifer? Look out for the next ADSA Discover Conference coming in fall 2026! Explore the articles discussed in the episode: Engaging dairy farming stakeholders in developing the Mooving Cows digital tool for practicing appropriate cow handling, Journal of Dairy Science (2025) Thermo-physiological responses and hutch microclimate of outdoor hutch-housed dairy heifers with or without continuous ventilation during a continental summer, Journal of Dairy Science (2025) Producer perceptions of dairy calf management, behavior, and welfare, Journal of Dairy Science (2024) Perceptions of dairy cow–handling situations: A comparison of public and industry samples, Journal of Dairy Science (2024) Public attitude toward and perceptions of dairy cattle welfare in cow-calf management systems differing in type of social and maternal contact, Journal of Dairy Science (2022) Youth and adult public views of dairy calf housing options, Journal of Dairy Science (2020) Dairy cow preference for access to an outdoor pack in summer and winter, Journal of Dairy Science (2019)Separation from the dam causes negative judgement bias in dairy calves, PLOS One (2014) Invited review: Sustainability of the US dairy industry, Journal of Dairy Science (2013) Retrieval monitoring and anosognosia in Alzheimer’s disease, Neuropsychology (2007) Injury or infection in udders of heifers may terminate in blind quarters, Journal of Dairy Science (1939)Expectation of life in dairy cows, Journal of Dairy Science (1939)

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