Two behaviours observed to be related to the personality gradients fearfulness and neophobia are stepping- and kicking behaviour during milking. Stepping behaviour is associated with fear of novelty, increased heart rate and increased milk cortisol concentrations, whereas kicking behaviour rather than initiated by nervousness or anxiousness seems to be expressed by not fearful cows.

To investigate the frequency of stepping and kicking behaviour during milking in the milking parlour, the behaviour of cows during milking was recorded (Table 1).