It is common practice in the dairy industry to separate the calf from the cow immediately after parturition, and in most parts of the world calves are housed individually during the milk-feeding period. Early and abrupt separation has major implications for the calf's physical and psychological development. In this Research Reflection short review we present and discuss the main housing systems and management practices regarding early weaning in today's dairy industry. Main benefits and disadvantages are critically addressed, and possible future research suggested. Furthermore, major policy issues related to consumers, scientific recommendations and economic performance of farms have been identified, as well as future drivers for more viable housing solutions for neonatal calves. This review serves as an introduction and preamble to the second section of this Special Issue, which is dedicated to cow-calf contact management systems.

中文翻译：

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早期断奶：对乳制品行业长期存在的问题的新见解

乳制品行业的常见做法是在分娩后立即将小牛与母牛分开，并且在世界大部分地区，小牛在泌乳期间被单独饲养。早期和突然的分离对小牛的身体和心理发育有重大影响。在这篇研究反思简短回顾中，我们介绍并讨论了当今乳制品行业中有关早期断奶的主要饲养系统和管理实践。主要的优点和缺点都得到了批判性的解决，并提出了可能的未来研究。此外，已经确定了与消费者、科学建议和农场经济绩效相关的主要政策问题，以及未来为新生小牛提供更可行的住房解决方案的驱动因素。