** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** EARLY LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING SOCIAL CONTACT, NUTRITIONAL PLANES, AND COGNITIVE STIMULATION, HAVE FUNDAMENTAL IMPACTS ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE. THESE EXPERIENCES IMPACT THEIR WELFARE AND PRODUCTIVITY THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. SUBSTANTIAL RESEARCH HAS DOCUMENTED THE IMPACT OF EARLY LIFE ENVIRONMENTS ON IMMEDIATE CALF WELFARE AND PERFORMANCE BUT THERE IS A KNOWLEDGE GAP REGARDING THE IMPACT OF REARING ENVIRONMENTS OF PREWEANED CALVES ON RESILIENCY AND LONGEVITY AS CALVES TRANSITION TO LACTATING COWS. FROM BIRTH TO CULLING, DAIRY CALVES AND COWS ARE EXPOSED TO A MYRIAD OF PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS. RESILIENT DAIRY CATTLE THAT COPE WELL WITH STRESSORS IN DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE BETTER LONG-TERM WELFARE AND IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES HOW EARLY-LIFE CALF MANAGEMENT AFFECTS THEIR LONG-TERM BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT, EMOTIONAL STATES, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL BIOMARKERS OF STRESS, BY EXAMINING CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT COMPARED TO COMBINATIONS OF SOCIAL, NUTRITIONAL, AND COGNITIVELY ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTS. ONE EXPERIMENT WILL INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF 1) AN ENHANCED NUTRITIONAL/SOCIAL/COGNITIVE ENVIRONMENT, 2) AN ENHANCED NUTRITIONAL ENVIRONMENT, OR 3) A CONVENTIONAL ENVIRONMENT ON BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS (PERSONALITY), PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURAL STRESS BIOMARKERS, AND EMOTIONAL STATES AT KEY LIFE STAGES AS CALVES PROGRESS THROUGH THE PRODUCTION SYSTEM INTO ADULTHOOD. ANOTHER EXPERIMENT PERFORMED ON COMMERCIAL FARMS WILL USE THE AFOREMENTIONED MEASURES TO IDENTIFY CHARACTERISTICS OF RESILIENT COWS, DEFINED AS POSITIVE EMOTIONAL STATES, HIGH PRODUCTION, AND A LONG HERD LIFE. PROJECT RESULTS WILL AID WITH THE GOAL OF THE U.S. DAIRY INDUSTRY TO INCREASE LONGEVITY OF DAIRY CATTLE AND IMPROVE ANIMAL WELFARE AND STANDARDS OF CARE.