The headline stopped me. Dairy veterinarians and reps servicing dairy accounts need to consider the practice of pairing calves based on the study this article references. It is surprising separation anxiety is not referenced given our experiences with early and post-weaning stress in most animals. This is not unlike trying to lessen anxiety by pairing two puppies or two kittens.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, January 27, 2016.
A recent paper in the Journal of Dairy Science supplies even more evidence that calves fare better socially when they are reared from birth with at least one pen mate. The authors suggest the results indicate that meal patterns established in response to different early social environments may persist after weaning; that housing in pairs promotes eating habits that make weaning transition easier; and that early social contact may have longer-term effects on adult-cow feeding behavior.