In people's thoughts cows roam on vast green pastures. However, in modern agriculture, as unit sizes increase and automatic milking becomes more common, grazing cows are an increasingly rare sight. The pasture is the most natural habitat for cows, where cows are able to perform their natural behaviour better than in barns. Also grazing has been found to improve the health of cows. However, a modern barn can offer comfortable living conditions for the cow so that the cow can fulfill its natural behavioural needs reasonably well without limiting factors. If all the conditions for a good life, such as tasty food, fresh water and a comfortable place to sleep, are available in the barn, the cow will not necessarily feel the need to leave. Do the cows still want to go outside?

The goal of this thesis was to find out if cows want to go outside and what factors affect the willingness of cows to go outside. The study monitored the amount of time the cows spent outside, their behaviour outside, milking frequency, indoor air quality and weather conditions. The partner of the thesis was the Central Ostrobothnia Vocational College. The research material for the thesis was collected from the automatic milking barn at Kannus in the summer of 2022. The research material was collected in its entirety by remote connections, using the barn's production control system and camera surveillance. Weather and indoor air quality data were collected with Vaisala Beacon weather station and Fidera indoor air sensors. The results of the study were compiled and analysed using an Excel tabulation program.

The research revealed that not all cows necessarily want to go outside, even if they are offered free access to the paddock or pasture. Only some of the cows were actively outdoors every day during the study but less than expected. When the cows were outside in the sand-based paddock they spent the most time lying down and ruminating. When they went to the pasture, the cows spent most of the time grazing. Rain and heat affected the willingness of cows to go outside. Cows prefer to go outside during daylight hours, especially early in the morning and in the afternoon. Free outdoor exercise did not affect the cows' milking activity.

The results of this thesis confirm the results of previous studies. The conditions affect the willingness of cows to go outside. When the conditions are okay in the barn, the cows don't necessarily feel the need to go outside. The results can be used in the practical activities of the partner and in the implementation of new research and theses. The results also provide new observations about the behaviour of cows in a modern automatic milking barn. More studies on the grazing and outdoor behaviour of cows in modern barn conditions are needed.