DAIRY calves are typically separated from their mothers and housed by themselves for the first six to eight weeks of life.A new study, published in PLoS One by researchers in the University of British Columbia's Animal Welfare Program, shows that calves raised individually have a harder time learning compared to calves socially housed with another calf.Calves were initially taught a simple task: When they entered a test pen, they could approach a black bottle and receive milk or approach a white bottle and receive no reward (Diagram). All calves were quick learners and soon would approach only the black bottle.At this point, the researchers switched the rules such that calves that approached the white bottle were rewarded with milk, but visits to the black bottle were not rewarded.
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