Jennifer Van Os

Getting cozy: Pair-housing calves as a potential solution to cold stress

Pair-housing calves may help reduce cold stress during winter in outdoor hutches while also improving calf welfare with social contact.

September 11, 2024

Kim Reuscher and Jennifer Van Os

A less-studied strategy to help calves cope with cold stress could be through having a companion. Pair or group housing of calves has become a popular topic of discussion over the past few decades. We conducted a study to measure if pair-housing calves in a dual hutch system could help reduce the effects of cold stress during winter. Read about the study's results.

Calves can vote too: Preferences for hutch ventilation during summer

Study shows that by 6 weeks old, calves show a significant preference for ventilated hutches, and ventilated hutches can help reduce heat stress. Additionally, pair-housed calves spent 80% of their time together.

May 6, 2024

Kim Reuscher and Jennifer Van Os

A potential consequence of the dual hutch housing system is that when calves choose to share a hutch, this could increase the risk of heat stress during warm weather. We conducted a study at the University of Wisconsin – Madison to see if this concern is warranted and to measure how calves use hutch ventilation.