Many farmers are interested in saving working time or making their work easier. This project attempts to clarify the question of whether the arrangement of the moving floor actually meets the strict requirements of animal protection.
Test rooms:
The calf box will be placed under a carport north of the HBLFA multi-purpose experimental barn. Depending on the weight of the calves, 3 or 4 calves are kept in the calf box.
Origin of the animals:
Breeding the herd at the HBLFA
Feeding:
Hay for free consumption, 0.5 kg/animal concentrate, water intake via heated drinker
Litter:
Automatic feed. Material: sawdust, straw in different lengths
The following parameters are examined:
- Temperature and humidity
- Suitability of different bedding materials
- Visual assessment and technical processing (recording the dimensions)
- User-friendliness when feeding, watering, removing manure, changing stables and cleaning
- Recording the time required for feeding and cleaning
- Surveying the straw requirement
- Daily assessment of the degree of contamination using photography
- Video recording to analyze drinking, eating and lying behavior
- Air consumption
- Power consumption
- Operational safety
