Successful pair and group rearing of calves
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EmailLooking into social housing for calves but have no idea where to start? Jennifer Van Os, University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares her insights on the benefits and considerations when it comes to social housing of calves.
Social housing, through pair or group housing, has shown developmental and behavioral benefits for calves while aligning with societal expectations around animal welfare. As with any housing system, social housing presents its own challenges related to calf health, facility management and unwanted behaviors. Even if you want to tiptoe into social housing with trials or subgroups, social housing is highly achievable with the right strategies and calf monitoring. The MSU Extension Heifer Academy Webinar Series featured a presentation from Jennifer Van Os, University of Wisconsin-Madison, who discussed the ins and outs of social housing for calves.
Benefits of social housing for calves
On our webinar, Van Os laid out the overarching benefits that social housing has for calves. These are broken down into two categories: behavioral and physical.
Behavioral
- Increased play behavior (indicator of positive welfare)
- Better social development and learning
- Increased resilience to stress, especially during weaning
- Improved cognitive development and adaptability
Physical
- Increased solid feed intake
- Better weight gain
- Possible protection from cold stress (esp. in outdoor hutches)
Considerations when transitioning to social housing
Any transition to a new management practice will come with challenges. Through sound record keeping practices and regular review of records, calf care teams can continually assess the impact of social housing and see if it works best for them. Those considering making the switch to pair housing must come together and build a plan to lay out the logistics to address calf health, facility design and unwanted behaviors.
Calf health
- Mortality rate: aim for less than 3%
- Morbidity rate: showing signs of illness (scours, respiratory, swollen joints) good = less than 10%, excellent = 5% or lower
- Colostrum management & evaluating passive transfer of immunity through testing serum total protein levels
- Vaccination program
Facilities
Changing to a social housing system can be a few small changes or a complete transformation. Facilities can be retrofitted or may need to take on an entirely new shape to be effective for the calf care team. Below is a list of areas to be mindful of when planning this transition:
Do you modify existing housing structures or build new?
- Environment: inside a barn vs. outdoors in hutches
- Structure type: a pair of hutches, super hutches, small pens, large group pens
- Ask yourself if there is an opportunity to improve milk or feed delivery with this change.
- Ventilation: cold and heat stress management, and air exchange
- Hygiene: keeping feeding equipment clean and maintaining cleanliness of the living area.
Before diving right into making changes, Van Os noted on the webinar that there are some additional factors that impact social housing success:
- Group size: Pairs are a good compromise; 3–8 calves is manageable
- Age range in groups: Ideally ≤ 1 week, never more than 2 weeks
- Timing: Pair calves at ≤ 2 weeks old
- Space Requirements: ≥ 30 sq ft per calf of dry bedded area
- Fence-line contact (vs. full contact) not equivalent socially or disease-wise
Behavior
The repeated concern with the adoption of social housing when related to calf behavior is cross-sucking. It is well documented that cross-sucking can lead to injury to the navel, ears or udder tissue. To manage this issue, a number of solutions were presented by Van Os:
- Reduce hunger: Feed 8–10+ quarts of milk/day. Wean gradually based on starter intake.
- Redirect suckling instinct: Use slow-flow nipples/teats. Provide pacifiers or Braden bottles.
- Design considerations: Use dividers or space feeding stations to reduce competition. Lock-up systems during feeding can reduce stress and suckling.
Looking ahead: Social housing and the public eye
As consumers grow more curious and sometimes critical about how food is produced, farming practices like social housing can help build trust and transparency. This touches on the concept of social license to operate: the idea that industries earn public support by aligning practices with shared values like animal welfare. While it’s not a formal license, it shapes everything from policy to purchasing behavior. Pair and group housing systems offer visible, research-backed benefits for calf development and welfare. For farms thinking long-term, investing in social housing can support both animal health and consumer confidence.
Social housing is an achievable calf raising system that, when actively managed and monitored, is mutually beneficial for calves and the calf care team. Strategy, timing, space and health tracking of calves are core pillars for a social housing system. Van Os has created an online resource for those considering implementing this practice on their farms. Learn more at https://animalwelfare.cals.wisc.edu/calf_pairing/.
