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Family herds with access to pasture instead of dreary everyday life in the barn with social stress: a national research consortium involving the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) and the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) shows how modern dairy farming combines animal welfare, practicality and transparency.
What happens when cows are allowed to decide for themselves whether they want to be indoors or outdoors? When calves grow up with their mothers and visitors can observe the animals, everyday life in the barn and the research — without disturbing them? The answer is provided by the Invited Review on the "Dairy Barn of the Future" just published in the renowned Journal of Dairy Science. The concept focuses on a family herd with cow-calf contact, a large free lying area, year-round access to pasture or paddocks, automation and sensor technology — and a visitor corridor for a safe insight into everyday life in the barn.
"With this publication, we are presenting the concept in a comprehensive scientific manner – and highlighting the opportunities for research into animal welfare, resource efficiency and biosecurity, as well as for putting new concepts into practice. We are showing how animal welfare and modern agriculture go hand in hand. Dummerstorf is ideal for this – there are many research institutions here that deal with animal welfare, right next door to each other, pasture land borders the campus, and we have the building permit. The digital barn simulation is ready – now we want to build the barn as a real-world laboratory together with partners," says Prof. Dr. Lisa Bachmann, professor at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences and research assistant at the FBN (project management).
Free choice, better life: how the "dairy barn of the future" works
The "dairy barn of the future" focuses on cows and calves as a family herd – without constant regrouping, with stable social contacts and calm herd dynamics. The animals have freedom of choice: they decide for themselves between the barn, pasture and winter paddock. Inside, a spacious free lying area with soft, ventilated bedding and trees ensures comfort, climate control and good lying behaviour. Automatic milking and smart feeding technology reduce the workload for employees, allow individual feeding and continuously provide health and behaviour data. A surrounding visitor corridor makes research and practice visible – guided tours, teaching and dialogue are possible without compromising biosecurity. The result is a practical, data-supported system that combines animal welfare, everyday work and transparency while enabling long-term studies under real conditions.
Dummerstorf: Competence campus with pasture connection
Dummerstorf combines everything this real-world laboratory needs in a small space: the research site is located in the immediate vicinity of the FBN, state research facilities, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, the University of Rostock and the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences – expertise in behaviour, animal welfare, veterinary medicine/epidemiology and agricultural technology all come together here. Pasture land borders the campus, giving the cows genuine freedom of choice without long driveways. In addition, the project team is ready in terms of building regulations: the building permit has been obtained, the digital barn simulation has been completed, and the construction has been planned in detail. Existing herds, laboratories, and data interfaces ensure rapid commissioning and reliable research. In short, Dummerstorf offers short distances, reliable infrastructure and a unique bundle of expertise – the prerequisites for realising the "dairy barn of the future" together with practice- s and transfer partners are met. After the federal government cancelled funding for the construction, an alternative financing option is now to be found.
Play. Test. Build.: The "dairy barn of the future" as a simulation
The interactive barn simulation is complete – a digital trial run that allows processes, space requirements, feeding, milking routes and visitor guidance to be simulated realistically. As with a "playable prototype", variants can be tested, bottlenecks identified and improvements tried out immediately – before a single spadeful of earth is turned. The planning is well thought out in terms of construction and operation. The project team is currently looking for partners from the fields of practice, politics and society who are willing to take the step from digital twin to reality. The planned demonstration and research barn will be used to conduct long-term studies under practical conditions – on animal health and behaviour, emissions, work organisation and social acceptance. This will lay the foundation for measurable progress for animals, humans and the environment.
Funding information: The development of the "dairy barn of the future" was part of the project "Innovations for healthy and 'happy' cows" (06/2021 – 05/2025) and was funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (BMLEH) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag. The project is managed by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE).
Prof Dr Lisa Bachmann
Animal health management
Hochschule Neubrandenburg
Brodaer Str. 2
17033 Neubrandenburg
T: +49 (0) 395 5693-2107
E: bachmann@hs-nb.de
Wulf, R., Demba, S., Röttgen, V., Langbein, J., Düpjan, S., Weise, B., Rose, S., Sixt, A., Harms, J., Steinhöfel, I., Bruckert, H. S., Guhl, P. A., Heppelmann, M., Jahn, S., Oettler, M. J., Homeier-Bachmann, T., & Bachmann, L. (2025). Invited review: Development of a dairy barn concept to improve animal welfare. Journal of dairy science, S0022-0302(25)00684-8. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2025-26627
Overview of the ‘dairy barn of the future’ in winter – all cows are in the barn or outside.
Copyright: © homebase²
View inside the barn with free lying area with trees and calf shelter.
Copyright: © homebase²
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Biologie, Ernährung / Gesundheit / Pflege, Tier / Land / Forst, Umwelt / Ökologie
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