The main diseases in dairy farming – mastitis, fertility problems, lameness, and metabolic disorders – are so-called "multifactorial diseases." Besides the specific pathogens, barn design, animal care, and management have a decisive influence on the course of the disease.
The functional areas within the barn system must be designed to reflect the animals' natural behaviors . The cubicle is the central element in a freestall barn. To function correctly, it must meet several basic requirements. Besides a comfortable cubicle length and width, the placement of the control elements and the choice of the right cubicle floor are crucial in cubicle design. Cattle require water troughs with a sufficiently large, unobstructed water surface and a sufficiently rapid water flow. Pasture grazing, when managed optimally, has a positive impact on animal health and strengthens the animals' resistance.
Proper barn design and attentive animal care have enormous potential for animal welfare and health. To fully exploit this potential, it is essential to understand the key factors and implement targeted measures. To determine animal welfare potential, an online tool – the FarmLife Welfare Index – was developed at the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein . At www.farmlife.at , every farmer can assess their cattle husbandry system and identify strengths and areas for improvement.
In this podcast, you'll learn the practical results on how to promote animal health – in brief – just listen or watch:
In this podcast episode, Dr. Andreas Steinwidder talks with Dr. Elfriede Ofner-Schröck about the most important questions surrounding animal health and how it can be promoted through optimal husbandry practices - just take a look:
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