The aim of this international research project was to develop and investigate cattle husbandry systems with free lying areas with regard to economics, animal welfare, animal health, environmental impact and social acceptance.
Compost barns for dairy cattle are enjoying increasing popularity in Central Europe. The aim of the international ERA-NET SUSAN project "FreeWalk" was the further development and investigation of cattle housing systems with open lying areas with regard to economics, animal welfare, environmental impact, and social acceptance. Two innovative housing systems – the compost barn and the "Cow Garden" – were compared with the conventional freestall barn as a reference system. For this purpose, 44 pilot farms from six countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden, and the Netherlands), comprising 22 compost barn systems and 22 freestall barns, were assessed using a holistic approach. The project consortium consisted of 11 partners from across Europe, America, and Israel. The final report presents a selection of the project results, developed in collaboration with international scientists and incorporating findings from farm visits within the Austrian sub-project.
Regarding animal welfare, there was significant variation in the prevalence of animal-related indicators between the herds studied and within the housing systems. However, differences were observed between the two housing systems studied in clinical indicators and lying behavior. Good and bad management practices exist in both systems, but the compost barn has the potential to improve dairy cow welfare. Bacterial analyses related to milk quality showed higher levels of XTAS spores in the bedding when the temperature was high and the moisture content of the bedding was low.
However, bedding management should focus on low moisture content rather than high bedding temperature, as dry bedding keeps legs and udders clean and minimizes the risk of mastitis. The studies also showed that management in compost barns requires significantly less labor than in comparable cubicle systems. However, the time savings cannot compensate for the significantly higher bedding costs observed in compost barns.
The ERA-NET SUSAN FreeWalk project yielded a number of new insights and recommendations for the future husbandry and management of cattle. The extensive results were described in several scientific publications and presented on a dedicated project website
