It is still common practice in Germany for calves to be separated from their mothers shortly after birth and initially kept individually. They are only placed in small groups after two to three weeks. There are significant differences when comparing different countries:

While calves in Ireland, Spain and Greece grow up in groups from the very beginning, calves in the USA spend the entire feeding phase in individual housing. However, calves would naturally grow up in a social group with other calves and their mothers from the outset in natural circumstances.

As with humans and other animals, the first phase of life has an extremely formative influence. Social contact has a positive effect on various aspects of animal health, behaviour and performance. Scientific studies also show that calves kept in pairs or groups have numerous short-term advantages over animals kept individually:

• Higher feed and water intake before and after weaning.
• Better daily weight gain.
• Less stress and anxiety in new situations.
• Better tolerance of stress during relocation, weaning or painful procedures.
• Greater cognitive abilities – calves raised in pairs learn faster and adapt better to change.

Conclusion: Calves that are raised in a social environment are more robust, curious and resistant to stress.

The benefits do not end when the calves reach adulthood. Rearing calves in a social environment also has positive long-term effects. Investigations into the influence of calf rearing on future lifetime performance are lengthy and therefore not particularly common. However, the studies that are available reveal the following tendencies:

Rearing calves in a social environment is not only good for animals, but also for farms:

• More efficient in terms of work and space than individual housing.
• Stress-resistant calves make management easier, especially when using technology to which the animals have to constantly adapt ( feeding technology, feeding robots, automatic milking systems, etc.).
• Future legal challenges: the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advises avoiding solitary confinement wherever possible.

This makes it clear that keeping animals in pairs or groups is a sustainable model that combines animal welfare and economic efficiency.

The results are clear: calves raised in a social environment develop better, are less fearful and perform better later on. This is beneficial for animal welfare, milk yield as well as farmers.

Anyone involved in calf husbandry should seriously consider housing calves in pairs or groups – the science shows that growing up together makes them strong.

Hofgut Neumühle is collaborating with other partners on the BMEL-funded project ‘Kalbzu2t’ in order to close knowledge gaps in this area. One aim of the project is to compare different forms of housing (individual, pair and small group housing) during the first 28 days of life and to investigate their effects on later performance as dairy cows or beef cattle.