Research Prof. Dr. Nicole Kemper

Funding: Nds. Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur über Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 1.811.726 EUR

Project Details:
This initial project within the ZERN research and transfer network is dealing with the future-oriented keeping and use of fattening pigs. There are deficits in current fattening pig husbandry, particularly in the areas of animal welfare, emissions and nutrient efficiency. This project has therefore set the objective of scientifically evaluating relevant aspects of sustainable pork production synergistically and gaining new, practice-relevant knowledge.

Cooperation Partners:

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL)

Funding: Nds. Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur über Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 1.496.374 EUR

Project Details:
ZERN is a research network of the University of Göttingen, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover and the German Institute of Food Technologies in Quakenbrück, which aims to support the transformation of the agricultural and food system in Lower Saxony, which is under increasing pressure to adapt. Aspects such as animal welfare and sustainability must be given greater consideration in agricultural production in the future. The findings from the research network should enable the sustainable production, processing and marketing of food.

Cooperation Partners:

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL)

Funding: Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachen , 227.674 EUR

Project Details:
Since the ban on cage housing in Germany in 2010, many laying hens are kept in alternative housing systems with free-range access. In Lower Saxony, approximately 23% of laying hens are housed in conventional free-range systems, while around 16% are kept under organic farm conditions. Particularly in these systems, an increasing parasite burden from intestinal worms has been observed, as worm eggs accumulate in the outdoor areas, and there are only limited biosecurity measures available for prevention and treatment.
Depending on the intensity of the infestation, worm infections can lead to significant health impairments in laying hens. These include general well-being disturbances, reduced performance, delayed growth, gastrointestinal damage and, in severe cases, even death. Effective worm control presents a major challenge for many free-range farms, particularly for those operating under organic standards. Addressing this issue requires strategic planning, targeted interventions and subsequent success monitoring.
The "Worm-free" project focuses on alternative measures to reduce worm infestations in free-range laying hen flocks. Over the course of three years, 50 flocks will be monitored for one production cycle each. By continuously recording management practices and regularly assessing parasite loads, the effectiveness of different farm-specific interventions will be evaluated.
As part of the project, a web application is also being developed to support laying hen farmers in identifying the risk of increased parasite burdens in their flocks and implementing effective countermeasures.

Funding: Gefördert durch die Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung Bonn/BMEL, 369.000 EUR

Project Details:
Der innovative Ansatz dieses Projektes zielt darauf ab, aus der Produktionskette isolierte Phagen als nachhaltige prophylaktische Maßnahme in der Geflügelproduktion zu etablieren.
Es sollen im Rahmen eines Zweistufenkonzepts maßgeschneiderte Phagenprodukte entwickelt werden.

Cooperation Partners:

Tierärztliche Gemeinschaftspraxis WEK, Miavit GmbH

Funding: EU, 267.625 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of this project is the large-scale, automated welfare monitoring of animal-based indicators at the slaughterhouse, that are related to welfare on-farm, during (un)loading, transport, and slaughter. Novel sensors will be developed and tested to measure these indicators, so data can be collected continuously and automatically.
More Informationen: https://www.awish-project.eu/

Cooperation Partners:

24 Partner aus 13 Europäischen Ländern. Koordination: ILVO, Belgien

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), 400.880 EUR

Project Details:
The future region "TiPP" has the aim of optimising transparency and traceability in a regionally established value chain pig via digital strategies from farm to fork. The focus of the practical trials is the use of Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) with its concepts and technologies (DLT, blockchain), which is completely unexplored in farm animals. For testing and the later derivation of transparency indices for consumers, animal, farm and process data are collected along the entire pig value chain in sub-projects that address current transparency-relevant areas such as data management, application of sensors, animal health, animal welfare, climate efficiency, sustainability and consumer behaviour.

Cooperation Partners:

Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

OFFIS e.V.

Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), 415.089 EUR

Project Details:
The objective of this project is to reduce the use of antibiotics in broiler fattening by on-farm hatching. Onfarm hatching is intended to increase animal health and consequently reduce the incidence of bacterial diseases in the flocks. For this purpose, various parameters that can be influenced by on-farm hatching are
taken into account, collected, evaluated and made available to the practice.
The project is divided into two phases. In phase 1, four farms are accompanied that already use the method of on-farm hatching and thus have previous experience (lighthouse farms). The experiences of the lighthouse farms as well as the data collected in this first phase will be passed on in phase 2 as knowledge
transfer to six farms (two with fast-growing broiler, two with slow-growing broiler and two organic farms),
that are using on-farm hatching for the first time (newcomers).

Cooperation Partners:

Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Universität Rostock

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), 117.178 EUR

Project Details:
The overall goal of the project is that farms that have high antibiotic use (ABU) can learn from farms that have comparably low ABU and the identification and optimization of parameters to improve animal health. The specific objectives of the project are: to improve biosecurity and overall hygiene of broiler chicken farms, to improve animal health of broiler chickens, to minimize the use of antibiotics, to transfer knowledge between broiler chicken farms with low and high ABU, and to optimize risk areas based on knowledge transfer.
There should be an intensive exchange of experiences between farmers who have different levels of ABU within the project. Thus, farms that have a high need for antibiotic use at the beginning of the project will learn which parameters they can and should optimize to improve animal health and minimize antibiotic use. Farm management factors that have a potential impact on animal health and consequent necessary ABU will be evaluated and collected during the practical phases of the project. These factors are divided into respective work packages (WP), including biosecurity of the farm and hygiene management (worked on by FLI & UROS), cleaning and disinfection (UROS), animal health and stable or herd management (TiHo and LMU), and knowledge transfer (UROS).
The project thus involves farms that have already been able to minimize their antibiotic use through innovative measures, optimized management and improved husbandry conditions. In addition, farms that are interested in improving animal health and minimizing antibiotic use and want to learn from other farms are invited to participate.

Cooperation Partners:

Uni ROS; Prof. Helen Louton

LMU München; PD Dr. Elke Rauch

FLI Insel Riems; PD Dr. Nicolai Denzin

Funding: Das Projekt ist Teil der Modell- und Demonstrationsvorhaben (MuD) Tierschutz im Bundesprogramm Nutztierhaltung. Die Förderung erfolgt aus Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL) aufgrund eines Beschlusses des deutschen Bundestages, Projektträger ist die Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), Förderkennzeichen 2820MDT341., 399.935 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of this model and demonstration project is to scientifically evaluate (partially) mobile slaughtering of poultry and cattle and to communicate the results adequately into practice. Different types of (partially) mobile slaughter units will be analyzed with regard to their effects on the animals (animal welfare) and products from these animals (meat hygiene, meat quality), organizational feasibility, technical requirements, legal conformity and economy. Existing and new scientific findings for the optimization of the above-mentioned aspects will be tested for their suitability, and communicated and transferred into practice. The communication of the results will take place via specialist articles, leaflets/practice guides, specialist videos, homepages, online seminars and information events.

https://www.tiho-hannover.de/stronger

Cooperation Partners:

Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau e.V. (FiBL)

Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e.V. (DLG)

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, 252.002 EUR

Project Details:
Viruses can be inactivated in the airborne state and additionally in heated filter elements without using chemical processes (ozonization, ionization) and without producing toxic waste (mercury from UVC lamps). However, information about the use of short time heat exposition to inactivate airborne viruses are very scarce. Information about synergistic effects of temperature and pressure on airborne viruses in ventilation systems are still lacking. Therefore, studying the effects of both, heat and pressure on the infectivity of virus aerosols will help to increase the understanding of virus stability in air.
This subproject aims to study the effect of both, heat and pressure on airborne test viruses in an energyefficient
machine-optimized system operating with air exchange rates that are sufficient to clean air in open space offices, for instance.

Cooperation Partners:

SCHEER Heizsysteme & Produktionstechnik GmbH

Chausseestraße 6, D-25797 Wöhrden

Projektkoordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Constantin Kinias