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Animal Welfare

Keeping animals species-appropriate is a central concern of organic farming. In addition to sufficient space and outdoor access, this also includes appropriate breeding, correct feeding and preventive measures to keep the animals healthy. Organic animal husbandry is generally less geared to achieving top performance than conventional animal husbandry, which reduces the burden on the animals and the environment.

Using interdisciplinary and participatory approaches, FiBL develops concepts to improve livestock husbandry on organic farms. The focus is on optimising husbandry conditions and management to increase animal welfare. In organic farming, breeds and genotypes which are adapted to the special conditions of organic production are used and kept under conditions that assure the highest possible animal welfare. Feeding and health care adapted to the respective genetics and performance are just as important as the equipment in the stables and design of the outdoor runs.

From  2014 until 2021, FiBL has been coordinating and supervising the Animal Welfare Competence Centre together with the Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen (LLH). Currently FiBL is involved in the Germany-wide Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl with the methodical didactically preparation of knowledge transfer related to animal welfare and the coordination of farmer’s networks. In other projects, that are funded within the Modell- und Demonstrationsvorhaben (MuD) Tierschutz , new findings that promote animal welfare are implemented through concrete measures. These include, for example prophylactic measures to reduce antibiotic use in poultry production or the renunciation of non-curative interventions (e.g. docking of body parts) in sheep (Welfare Competence Centre Sheep). Every year, FiBL organises up to 20 events on topics related to animal welfare and animal health.

Furthermore, optimisation approaches for the feeding of organic animals are being conceptualized. This includes for example the development of feeding strategies for organic turkeys at varying growth intensity.

Projects

StatusFiBLTitleStartEnd
ongoing DE Fortschritt mit Kompetenz und Spezialwissen für eine tierwohlgerechte, umweltschonende und nachhaltige Nutztierhaltung (Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl) 01.01.2024 31.12.2026
ongoing DE Circular feeding strategies in organic poultry production (GreenChicken) 01.06.2023 31.05.2027
ongoing DE Stress reduction through mobile slaughtering of poultry and cattle (StronGeR) 01.01.2023 30.06.2025
ongoing DE Sustainable and resilient cultivation of insects for an innovative use in feed and food production (reKultI4Food) 01.11.2021 30.10.2024
ongoing DE Reduction of use of antibiotics in poultry production: Alternative prophylactic measures (AntiMin-Pro) 01.11.2021 30.04.2024
ongoing DE Animal welfare competence centre sheep (TWZ Schaf) 01.10.2021 30.09.2024
completed DE Organic turkey production: Requirement adjusted amino acid and vitamin supply under consideration of genotype, feeding strategy and husbandry conditions 03.03.2020 28.02.2023
completed DE Informationsveranstaltungen für Ferkelerzeuger und Schweinemäster zu den Alternativen zur betäubungslosen Ferkelkastration (Los 5: Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Thüringen) 13.01.2020 31.08.2020
completed DE Progress with competence and specialist knowledge for animal well-being, environmentally friendly and sustainable livestock farming (Fokus Tierwohl) 19.12.2019 31.12.2023
completed CHDE Preserving Bavarian knowledge for the treatment of farm animals with medicinal plants and natural products 01.10.2018 31.12.2021
completed DE Praxisgerechte Ferkelkastration unter Betäubung und postoperativer Schmerzausschaltung in der ökologischen Ferkelerzeugung / Schweinehaltung (Ferkelkastration) 01.06.2018 31.05.2020
completed DEAT Sustainable pig production systems (SusPigSys) 01.09.2017 30.11.2020
completed DE Kompetenzzentrum für die Demonstrationsbetriebe im Bereich Tierschutz 01.07.2017 30.06.2021
completed DE Betriebsentwicklung Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft - Betriebsentwicklung in Richtung auf mehr Tierwohl (besonders tiergerechte Haltung, Tierschutz), Los 2 30.03.2016 31.12.2019
completed DE Kompetenzzentrum für die Demonstrationsbetriebe im Bereich Tierschutz 01.05.2014 30.06.2017