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Research on Cattle Feeding and Nutrition in Relation to Animal Welfare: A Bibliometric Analysis
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Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago 8420524, Chile
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Departamento de Ciencias Animales, Facultad de Agronomía y Sistemas Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2026, 16(11), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16111587 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 24 April 2026
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Revised: 14 May 2026
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Accepted: 19 May 2026
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Published: 23 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ruminant Welfare Assessment—Third Edition)
Simple Summary
Feeding practices are essential for the health and well-being of cattle, but research in this area has expanded rapidly and can be difficult to interpret. This study analysed scientific publications from 2009 to 2025 to understand how research on cattle nutrition relates to animal welfare. The aim was to identify the main trends and gaps in knowledge. Results showed a steady increase in studies, with a strong focus on how nutrition influences animal health, stress, and productivity. The findings also revealed that research is concentrated in a limited number of countries and that collaboration among scientists is growing. While nutrition is increasingly used to improve both welfare and efficiency, topics such as animal behaviour and farming conditions remain less studied. This study provides useful insights to support more sustainable and welfare-friendly cattle production.
Abstract
Research on cattle feeding and nutrition has increasingly integrated animal welfare considerations in response to evolving scientific, societal, and production challenges. This study aimed to characterise the global scientific landscape on this topic through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. A structured methodological framework was applied using the Web of Science database, covering the period from 2009 to 2025, limited to literature published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The analysis followed five stages: research design, data collection, analysis, visualisation, and interpretation, using a broad search strategy combining terms related to cattle production, nutrition, feeding, health, stress, and welfare. Bibliometric indicators and science mapping techniques were implemented using the Bibliometrix package in R (Biblioshiny), including collaboration network analysis, keyword co-occurrence, thematic evolution, and Bradford’s Law to identify core journals. In total, 424 documents were analysed. The results showed sustained growth in scientific production, particularly from 2016 onwards, indicating consolidation of the field. Output was concentrated in a limited number of countries, institutions, and journals, supported by increasingly interconnected collaboration networks. Thematic trends revealed a shift towards integrative approaches linking nutrition with stress, health, and productivity, positioning nutrition as a key tool to enhance welfare and efficiency, although behavioural and socio-economic aspects remain underrepresented.
