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Looking for high animal comfort? Compost barns could be an option!
Looking for high animal comfort? Compost barns could be an option!

Contacts
Completed | 2011 - 2012 Other, European Union
Completed | 2011 - 2012 Other, European Union
Derzeit wird der Seiteninhalt nach Möglichkeit in der Muttersprache angezeigt

Objectives

Future dairy cattle breeding systems will have to focus even more on animal welfare and environmental impact. Species-appropriate stable systems with a free resting area that allow the animals to adopt their appropriate lying position and rest in social contact with other animals in their herd are already becoming more and more popular. Compost barns are one of the possible options. These consist of a large bedded area (covered with sawdust or dry fine wood shavings or chips) and a solid feeding alley.

Objectives

(See in English)

Additional information

The joint research project between the Agricultural Research and Education Center Raumberg-Gumpenstein (AREC) and the Institute for Sustainability Sciences (ISS) in Tänikon also showed that claw disorders, joint inflammations, mastitis und udder injuries decreased significantly in the compost barn system (Compared to conventional freestall barns).



Reasons supporting the compost barn system are (i. a.):

• High animal comfort

• Simpler barn construction

• Low time required to maintain the resting area

• Animals and udders very clean.



At the same time the following issues need to be considered carefully (i. a.):

• High costs of bedding (sawdust and shavings)

• Currently there is no known working alternative to sawdust

• High process heat occurs during rotting – this leads to animals avoiding the resting area in the summer – this can be redressed by fan and/or sprinkler system (spraying mist).



For further information please see attached articles/report

Project details
Main funding source
Other public (national, regional) research funds

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Ressourcen

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1 Practice Abstracts

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Project coordinator