Background of the project
Due to the changed legal requirements for pig farming in Austria, adjustments will be necessary in all pig farms by 2034 at the latest:
In the future, fattening pens must "have a solid lying area comprising one-third of the total area, which is either enclosed and bedded or has a maximum perforation rate of 10%" (First Animal Husbandry Ordinance). Against this backdrop, the need for innovative solutions that meet both legal requirements and the needs of the animals is increasing.
Project approach and objectives:
The HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, as a certified testing laboratory of the Center for Animal-Friendly Husbandry and Animal Welfare, has been commissioned to test a newly developed floor element as a lying area within the framework of NEBO-S (see photo: green floor area). This element is characterized by low perforation and a slight slope, which is intended to improve hygiene/emissions and animal comfort. The flooring was integrated into a completely redesigned section of the research barn within an innovative pen concept (see photo: Z-shaped meeting zone between two pens).
Over two fattening cycles (covering the seasons), animal-related indicators will be collected and lying behavior (acceptance of the floor) assessed via video recordings. Furthermore, the environmental impacts will be evaluated by calculating emission factors for ammonia, odor, and dust.
Research for practical application!
The project results, obtained under practical conditions in the research pig fattening barn, support agricultural businesses in adapting to the new legal requirements. Tested systems offer:
• Legal certainty (compliance with animal welfare standards)
• Decision-making criteria for approval procedures (e.g. emissions)
by the agency for animal-friendly husbandry and animal protection, animal welfare label and the product can therefore be widely used in practice.
Project partners:
Center for animal-friendly husbandry and animal welfare: tierschutzkonform.at
Stallit company: stallit.com
