Future of animal husbandry: Center researches against heat stress in cows!

Future of animal husbandry: Center researches against heat stress in cows!

Freiberg, Deutschland - On July 11, 2025, the “Center for Sustainable Animal Conservation” was launched at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg. This newly founded center combines scientists, private individuals and business representatives with the aim of developing innovative solutions for animal -friendly and sustainable stable postures. The focus is particularly on the adaptation of the stables to the challenges of climate change, especially in terms of the frequent heat waves. Even from a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, cows feel heat stress, which has serious effects on your health and productivity. With this initiative, the participants want to actively help to improve the living conditions of the animals and at the same time minimize ecological footprints, as reports.

The center includes several institutions, including the University of Leipzig, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the HTWK Leipzig and the TU Dresden. The interdisciplinary board is headed by Alexander Starke from the Clinic for Klauen animals at the University of Leipzig. Other important members are Rüdiger Schwarze from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and Uwe Bergfeld as treasurer. The aim of the center is to develop practical solutions that are both animal -friendly and climate -friendly. In the future, new stable concepts for other farm animals should also be developed in order to enable animals better.

climate adjustment in animal husbandry

The foundation of the center is a direct result of the growing knowledge that climate change also significantly influences agriculture. Cows are particularly susceptible to heat stress, which is expressed in a reduced feed intake and lower milk production. Experts from the HTWK Leipzig concentrate on stable construction and the insulation to regulate the temperature in the barn and thereby promote the health of the animals. This research is of essential importance, since high-performance cows drink up to 200 liters of water a day, which requires efficient management of resources, according to the engineer Reports.

One of the most promising approaches includes the use of a digital twin that serves to balance the emissions in dairy cattle valleys. This digital twin, which simulates the stable climate, can develop targeted measures to reduce emission. A central concern is to significantly reduce methane emissions that arise when rumbling and which are considered the second largest climate. A third of global methane emissions come from agriculture. Therefore, it is all the more important to take targeted measures to improve the stable ventilation.

research for the future

Interdisciplinary cooperation in this center is intended to promote knowledge transfer between research and practice. The current focus is on a research project with a Saxon agricultural cooperative to examine the ventilation in stables. This initiative is intended to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions as well as the quality of life of the animals, which creates a clear connection between climate adaptation and climate protection, as MDR.

Through these far -reaching measures, which are initiated by the Center for Sustainable Animal Conservation, a future -oriented contribution to sustainable agriculture and animal welfare should be made. The innovative strength that arises from this cooperation could clearly help master the challenges of climate change in the field of animal husbandry.