Episode notes
While 70% of North American dairies cling to individual calf hutches, forward-thinking producers are discovering that pair housing delivers $82,500 in combined annual benefits for a typical 500-cow operation. This episode challenges the century-old isolation paradigm with breakthrough UK research tracking over 400 heifers, revealing that pair-housed calves produce 1,000 kg more lifetime milk and experience 30% fewer culls. With October 2025 milk prices at $17.59/cwt and margins razor-thin, this conversation exposes why your calf housing decision today determines your profitability for the next decade.
Key Takeaways:
- How automated milk feeders achieve 80-85% accuracy in disease detection—but only when calves are housed socially, not in individual systems
- Why proper ventilation (20 CFM per calf) matters mor ...
Keywords
dairy calf pair housingcalf growth profitabilityautomated calf feeder ROIheifer replacement cost reductiondairy farm operational efficiencyNorth American dairy managementcalf weaning transition