Social housing improves dairy calves' performance in a competition test

Abstract

Graphical Abstract Summary: We investigated the effect of early social housing on dairy calves' competitive skills. Calves (3 weeks old) who had been individually or pair housed were subjected to a competition test for milk against a group-reared calf for 5 days. During these tests, pair-housed calves spent, on average, more time drinking from the bottle and were faster to approach the reward than individually housed calves. Two personality tests measuring boldness were also conducted before and after competition tests. Bolder calves tended, on average, to show reduced latencies to the bottle. This work supports early social housing as beneficial for dairy calves.

Calf Management: Individual or Paired Housing Affects Dairy Calf Health and Welfare

“…Some studies have shown the benefits that paired housing can have on improving a calf’s competitiveness to feed at three weeks of age [ 43 ] and after weaning [ 38 ], which is in agreement with our results. No studies to our knowledge have assessed if calves being pair-housed from birth develop a relationship that allows one of the paired calves to benefit in performance and welfare to the detriment of the other paired calf, potentially related to competitiveness for feed within the pen.…”