Institute of

OF Organic Farming

Working group Animal welfare

Organic animal husbandry claims targeting an excellent animal health and animal welfare. This is reflected in expectations of society towards processes in organic farming. The health of farm animals therefore is of great significance.

Prevention of is crucial to maintain herd health and welfare. In all parts of the environment behavioral and biological needs of the animals has to be taken into account in order reduce stress. On the other hand herd management and hygiene are needed to reduce infection prevalence and not to overstraine the adaptability of farm animals in the farm environment

Mensch-Tier-Beziehung: Erhebung der Ausweichdistanz auf der Weide

Furthermore we work on the identification and validation of animal based indicators to assess health and welfare of livestock on-farm. Epidemiologic topics such as the analysis of risk factors for certain production diseases are also under study.

Working group Animal welfare

Dr. Solveig March

Phone: +49 4539 8880 327
Phone: +49 531 2570 2044

Dr. Jan Brinkmann

Phone: +49 4539 8880 711
Phone: +49 531 2570 1490

PD Dr. habil. Silvia Ivemeyer

Phone: +49 171 8167462
Phone: +49 531 2570 2033

Viola Magierski

Phone: +49 4539 8880 522
Phone: +49 531 2570 2186

Ulrike Peschel

Phone: +49 4539 8880 121
Phone: +49 531 2570 2164

Merlin Grosse

Phone: +49 4539 8880 128
Phone: +49 531 2570 1836

Caroline Over

Johanna Ostermair

Phone: +49 4539 8880 314
Phone: +49 531 2570 1545

Juliane Helmerichs

Phone: +49 531 2570 2298
Phone: +49 4539 8880 128

Tabea Kranefoed

Phone: +49 531 2570 2267

Ö-Ko-Tier

Within the framework of organic inspections, various audit systems of the inspection bodies and the organic farming associations are currently applied to monitor animal welfare on farms. These concepts will be reviewed, further developed and standardized with regard to the criteria of validity, reliability and practicability, considering already existing indicator and assessment systems.

Animal welfare, competence and cooperation between learning locations

The project strengthens cooperation between learning locations in the agricultural sector and ensures the pedagogical professionalization of educational staff through animal welfare-oriented educational modules and teaching-learning settings.

Animal welfare competence

Development of an individual animal welfare-oriented competence to ensure animal well-being– Concepts of teaching and learning in vocational education and training – Up to now, animal welfare has only been a minor topic in agricultural vocational education. New and innovative concepts of teaching and learning are therefore to be developed, in order to promote a comprehensive animal welfare-oriented competence.

EIP- Animal Welfare-Check

Animal welfare in dairy husbandry with a system – from farm self-monitoring to national monitoring

Significant, valid and evidence-based indicators to evaluate animal welfare in livestock husbandry are now available. Lacking is a comprehensive monitoring of automatically documentable animal-related indicators that make animal welfare measurable and comparable. In our project Q-Check, indicators for animal health from existing analyses and documentation systems shall be used.

Stable Schools to improve animal health and welfare

Udder diseases and metabolism problems, typical production diseases, also play a great role in organic dairy husbandry. In a pilot study we studied the extent to which Stable Schools are suited as an innovative concept to improve the health situation with consultations in the participating dairy farms. Stable Schools base on mutual learning: problems in the own farm are discussed and solved together with other farmers.

National Animal Welfare Monitoring

The interdisciplinary project "National Animal Welfare Monitoring" aims to develop the basis for reporting on the status quo and the development of animal welfare in livestock farming.

Indicators for a Payment-by-Results Approach for Animal Welfare Measures and Organic Farming

According to Eurobarometer surveys, most consumers desire adequate housing and living circumstances for farm animals. But which indicators are most suitable for the measurement of animal welfare and how can animal welfare policies be implemented in a result-oriented way? This research question is adressed by the Thünen-Insitut of Organic Farming and the Thünen-Institut of Farm Economics.

Establishment of web-based decision trees for parasite prophylaxis through future-oriented pasture management in agricultural practice and consultancy

Pasture husbandry is considered to be particularly animal appropriate and is, according to polls, desired by consumers. However younger animals in particular are often afflicted with infections by gastrointestinal parasites while at pasture. Previously developed decision trees available online could be an aid in future-oriented pasture planning. How do farms perceive the work with this online tool? Can it provide support in pasture management to individual farms? Does it reduce the stress on the animals or does the use of the decision tree lead to less use of anthelmintics? These questions are ...

Decision Trees for Deworming

Control of gastrointestinal worms of grazing ruminants is crucial to animal health and farmer’s economic success. At the same time the smallest possible amount of drugs is to be used.