Social behavior is learned early in life; it enables calves to adapt to later challenges, and
rearing with the dam or with peers improves calf welfare compared to individual rearing.
When calves are dam-reared, breaking the maternal–filial bond is stressful, but partial
separation prior to final separation may mitigate this. Cattle form social bonds and perceive
isolation as aversive. Social contact buffers adverse experiences, but living in a group also
means competing for resources. This competition depends on resource availability;�…