Dairy farmers' experiences with adopting social housing for milk-fed dairy calves

Rearing milk-fed dairy calves in pairs or groups (i.e., social housing) can be beneficial for their welfare, but individual housing remains the norm on many farms. Although some research has investigated farmer perceptions of social housing, to our knowledge no research has investigated farmers' experiences with transitioning from individual to social housing. We aimed to describe dairy farmers' experiences of transitioning from individual to social calf housing using the Innovation-Decision Process, a framework that includes the processes leading up to, implementing, and sustaining (or discontinuing) a practice. We conducted in-person semi-structured interviews with 17 dairy farmers from 15 farms in British Columbia, Canada, that transitioned their calf housing during the milk feeding period from an individual to a social setup (n = 12 farms); as well as farms that returned to individual housing after the transition (n = 3 farms). Interviews averaged 86 min in length and were anonymized, transcribed, and thematically coded. Our findings indicate that the initial motivation to adopt social housing was influenced in part by participants' social environment, but also by calf-based (e.g., growth) and farm-based (e.g., labor saving) reasons. After implementing social housing, participants varied in the challenges (e.g., competition between calves for feed access) and benefits (e.g., improved calf growth) they experienced. Participants also discussed problem-solving approaches to improve outcomes, such as modifying housing and management practices, sometimes cycling through multiple approaches before settling on one that worked for them. The results of this research contribute to our understanding of farmer motivators, needs, concerns, and approaches when transitioning to social housing for calves. More generally, the results provide insights into how changes in farm practices occur, helping to inform the adoption of other practices on farms.