Group housing for dairy calves is not an easy system for all farms to implement. Dairies can still reap the benefits that come from raising calves in social groups by housing two calves together as a pair.
I really like pair housing because we get a lot of the advantages of social housing without the detrimental effects of large groups. There is a lot of opportunity to modify what we already have. . . ” – Whitney Knauer, VMD, PhD
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, October 28, 2021. Link. Studies have shown the same benefits in paired calves as they have in those raised in groups, including greater starter intake at weaning, longer lying times at weaning, and less vocalization at weaning. Calves raised with a peer also have a reduced fear of new objects or novel situations.