Cows are smarter when raised in pairs

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/uobc-cas022514.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 26-Feb-2014
Contact: Corey Allen
University of British Columbia

Cows are smarter when raised in pairs

Cows learn better when housed together, which may help them adjust faster to complex new feeding and milking technologies on the modern farm, a new University of British Columbia study finds.

The research, published today in PLOS ONE, shows dairy calves become better at learning when a "buddy system" is in place. The study also provides the first evidence that the standard practice of individually housing calves is associated with certain learning difficulties.

"Pairing calves seems to change the way these animals are able to process information," said Dan Weary, corresponding author and a professor in UBC's Animal Welfare Program. "We recommend that farmers use some form of social housing for their calves during the milk feeding period."

-----