Document type technical guide produced by Danone, JUNIA, Phylum and MSD Animal Health
Authors: Hélène LERUSTE (JUNIA), René FOURNIER (MSD Santé Animale), Mathilde CLAUSS, François GARY (Phylum), Rosalie CUILLE (Danone)
Preview: In France, most dairy calves are housed in individual stalls. This type of housing is permitted up to a maximum age of 8 weeks in conventional farming, and a maximum of one week on organic farms. The main reasons for adopting this practice are to limit the risk of disease transmission between calves - whose immune systems are immature - and to facilitate feeding and monitoring. (...) The main criticisms of dairy calf rearing concern early separation from the mother, which deprives the calf of its preferred social partner in the first few weeks of life, and the social isolation associated with housing in individual huts. As a result, the dairy industry has launched initiatives to integrate calves into a social group as early as possible (other calves and/or cows). Having an alternative to individual housing for calves enables farms to meet a certain number of specifications. (...) Pair housing consists of grouping 2 calves together as soon as they are separated from their mothers (generally within 12 to 24 hours of birth) in a pen of at least 1.5m²/calf [1]. A priori, rearing calves in pairs is an interesting compromise, making it easier to monitor the calves and limiting the risk of pathogen transmission compared with larger groups. It can also be reassuring for farmers who don't want to radically change their management or building. This guide is intended for anyone (breeder, technical advisor, veterinarian, teacher) wishing to find out more about this practice. It reports on available scientific knowledge and offers advice on how to put it into practice on the farm. The guide is made up of 5 sheets presenting the benefits and points to watch for when housing calves in pairs, recommended feeding and sanitary practices, and a practical sheet on setting up this type of housing on the farm. Finally, other alternative methods of rearing calves are briefly presented.
The publication of this guide is part of Danone's Animal Welfare program, coordinated by IDELE.
