Understanding Animal Body Language
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Develop a better understanding of animal body language, focusing on how livestock animals express their personalities and emotions through specific movements.
by Beth Greenwood
When a sassy colt is annoying mom and she pins her ears back, the smart colt knows he’s gone too far. If he ignores the warning sign, he’ll be nipped to ensure better behavior. Our knowledge of animal body language can help make our animals easier to handle and keep us safer. Although most animals communicate vocally, posture and movement are important as well. For example, a cow or horse will stand stiff-legged and head up, staring fixedly in one direction, and will also utter a loud snort to draw the herd’s attention to a possible threat.
Dominance Matters in Animal Body Language
All animals operate on the principle of dominance. The term “pecking order” is both accurate and descriptive for more than chickens. The alpha mare and the alpha cow get first choice at the hay or water. They enforce that dominance by laying an ear back or crowding their juniors aside. If necessary, they charge, butt, bite, or kick. If you enter their territory, they may to dominate you too. Your task is to pick up the subtle signs, identify a problem, and take action to establish your dominance or deal with a problem, such as illness or injury.
Horses
Ears are the number one indicator of a horse’s mood. Ears forward means the animal is alert and interested, or listening to something specific. One ear each direction signals an attention split — perhaps the trail forward, as well as the rider’s voice behind. Ears back but not flat can signal nervousness, confusion, or sometimes pain. A relaxed horse’s ears will often flop to each side; so will those of one that’s exhausted. A twitching tail can signal pain, frustration, or anger. Combinations of these signs add to the meaning. A cocked foot with floppy ears means full relaxation. Ears pinned and a cocked foot means a kick is likely. Ears pinned flat to the head mean anger and aggression. Read on for Safe Ways to Restrain a Horse.
Cows
A cow’s tail will often give you a quick message about her feelings. When the tail is hanging straight down, the cow’s relaxed and comfortable. Cows that are sick, cold, or scared tend to clamp the tail tightly between the hind legs. A cow that’s stressed or frightened may also swish her tail irritably. Like horses, cows signal emotions and interest with their ears. Ear positions have similar meanings in both the bovine and equine world. Aggressive behavior in a cow or bull typically starts with a head-up, fixed-gaze position. The animal may turn sideways to intimidate you with its size. The next step is pawing dirt, head slinging, and sometimes bellowing. If you’re smart, you’ll already have gotten out of the corral by then!
Goats and Sheep
These two species tend to display similar behaviors in many ways. Interpret their ear positions as you would those of cows and horses. Many goat owners will also tell you that goats have very expressive faces, and as you get to know each individual, you’ll be able to translate quite well. Tail-wagging is a behavior common to both kids and lambs, especially when nursing. Although generally seen as a sign of pleasure, tail-wagging may also occur in times of agitation or fright. Adult goats wag their tails for the same reasons, and so do some adult sheep. Does and ewes may also display tail activity when in heat or if they have a vaginal infection. It’s a little more difficult to tell with adult sheep, however, because most adults have docked tails. While both sheep and goats will butt each other (and you), their aggressive warning signs are different. A goat will glare, then rear, and finally charge. Sheep will typically stomp and paw, then charge.
Poultry
Although I’m primarily talking about chickens in this section, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl display similar behaviors. A bird’s ears and feet don’t give you emotional indications as do those of other farm animals. A happy, healthy bird is a busy bird. It’ll be pottering around the pen, scratching here and there, grabbing a bite to eat, or taking a quick bath (dust or water). A drooping carriage, dull eye, poor grooming, or low energy indicate poor health or. A bird that seems excessively flighty or wants a lot of distance from other flock members could be the target of a bully.
You’ll generally get the most information from birds by listening to them talk. Happy birds (especially hens) will sing or croon to themselves. Geese warble and murmur; goslings whistle softly. Turkey hens and toms “toook” to each other, and both will also gobble. Roosters, bless their early-morning little hearts, are prone to crowing, but they also croon and have a particular sound that means “food.” A silent rooster may be sick or hurting. And, of course, no other bird announces a newly-laid egg with the same vociferous boisterousness of a chicken.
A loud shriek is typically a sign that a chicken has spotted an aerial predator. Geese will also shriek in this situation. I’ve never heard a turkey or guinea fowl shriek, but ducks will shout repeated strings of quacks at the tops of their voices. I’m not exactly sure what to call the noise an agitated guinea makes, but if one starts it, they all take it up. Some people use them in place of watchdogs for that reason. Most threats to people come from the males. A rooster will drop one wing and circle before leaping on you with his spurs, or mating a hen. A gander, drake, or tom puffs up and stands his ground, then either charges or runs. And the female of any species will be defensive of her babies.
Observation is Key
The most important thing I can tell you about interpreting animal body language is that you need to spend plenty of time with your animals and birds. Don’t just feed and water — stand and observe for 15 or 20 minutes. A sudden change in habits will be quickly apparent. Bullying behavior will also surface. I’m a firm believer that aggressive animals and poultry should be culled to prevent injuries to peers or people.
A final word: Always supervise children’s animal interactions, no matter how well-trained or gentle the animal is. Remember, small children are neither as strong as you nor as alert for danger. Many are at eye-level with farm poultry — don’t put them at risk!
Beth Greenwood is an RN who has also been a ranch wife for over 50 years. She raised Quarter Horses for many years, and has also raised/managed cows, sheep, pigs, and poultry. She lives with her extended family on a large ranch in far northern California. You’ll usually find her in the garden, ignoring the housework!
Originally published in the September/October 2025 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
