Unfold
Unfold
UC Davis
Where Science Meets the Herd
9 minutes Posted Apr 14, 2026 at 4:00 pm.
Handling in Groups: Why It Matters
Animal Behavior & Safety Concerns
How the Bulk Handler Works
Goats and Gates Field Day Overview
Demonstration and Ranching Benefits
Designing For the Animal
Temple Grandin
Cattle Vision Goggles
0:00
9:22
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Show notes
What does the world look like to a cow and why do goats spook so easily? New tools are helping people experience how livestock perceive and respond to their surroundings—leading to safer, lower-stress handling for animals and the people who raise them. UC Davis researchers and veterinarians are bringing these tools to ranchers and others, showing how understanding animal behavior improves welfare in real-world settings. In this episode of Unfold, we explore where science meets the herd.
In this episode:
Cassandra Tucker, professor with the UC Davis animal science department and co-founder of Kinder Ground
Fauna Smith, assistant professor of livestock herd health and reproduction, UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine
Thandi Nixon, third-year veterinary student at UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine
Temple Grandin, professor of animal science, Colorado State University
Jen Walker, co-founder of Kinder Ground and herd health veterinarian
Nathan Medlar, owner, NM Ranch
Ashlynn Kirk, program manager for the Humane Handling Institute at the University of Wisconsin—River Falls
Want to see what it looks like through the eyes of a cow?