Veterinary Sensing Practices and the Crafting of Cow Bodies in Farming

This contribution draws on archival and ethnographic research conducted as part of my Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship in Humanities and Social Science [219799/Z/19/Z]. The study explores the sensing practices of cow lameness by veterinarians from the early 20th century onward. A central aspect of this study involves an examination of the multifaceted and situated ways in which veterinarians engage their senses (i.e. auditory, olfactory, tactile, and visual) to diagnose cow locomotion problems in farming. In addition, the study scrutinises the kinds of cow bodies that are crafted through veterinary multisensory practices on the farm. In doing so, this study sheds light on the intricate social and political sensory processes through which the clinical care of cow bodies is shaped in farming.