Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Life Sciences - Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences

The latest edition of the Journal of Dairy Research focuses on animal welfare - there is a special section on "Cow-Calf Contact".

DairyCare: Husbandry for wellbeing

Volume 87 - Special Issue S1 - August 2020

► Methodological terminology and definitions for research and discussion of cow-calf contact systems

► Methodology for experimental and observational animal studies in cow-calf contact systems

► Play and social behaviour of calves with or without access to their dam and other cows

► Short- and long-term effects of rearing dairy calves with contact to their mother on their reactions towards humans

Our PhD student

Aijan Tolobekova

defended her dissertation

on the topic

"Analyse der Tier-Umwelt-Interaktionen bei Yaks (Bos grunniens) im kirgisischen Hochgebirge"

Congratulations, Aijan!

The Bauernzeitung 

(Hilmar Baumgarten)

reported:

Workshop at the Thünen Institute

Prof. Edna Hillmann participated in a workshop with scientists from 8 countries to advance research into keeping of cow and calf together....

more information ►

Defense of the PhD thesis

Camille Raoult has successfully defended her PhD thesis at the University of Berne (with the highest possible mark).

We congratulate her for this success.

From left to right: Prof. H. Würbel (university supervisor), Prof. B. Wechsler (head of research group), Camille Raoult, behind her: Prof. H. Bollwein (mentor) und PD Dr Lorenz Gygax (supervisor).

"Easter lambs in Dahlem"

Our goats have given birth to 14 healthy lambs.

Together they live on our experimental station on the Campus Dahlem.

(Text and photo: Edna Hillmann)

"Animal affair" in Dahlem

After again great support from the student council the pigsty was launched on the Dahlem campus ...

... at the beginning of March, eight pigs moved into their quarters..

(PD Dr. Lorenz Gygax)

Successful project completion with defense of the doctorate

On March 4, 2019, the defense of the promotion of Joanna Stachowicz took place.
The work was supervised by Prof. Dr. Edna Hillmann and Dr. Nina Keil (Center for Animal Welfare).

Reviewers were Prof. Dr. med. Hanno Würbel (University of Bern) and Prof. Dr. med. Susanne Ulbrich (ETH Zurich).

Thus, the project "Laufhof use with dairy goats" at ETH Zurich was successfully completed.

Research Awards on the occasion of the 50th International Meeting in Applied Ethology

On the occasion of the 50th International Meeting in Applied Ethology, the research awards of the International Society of Livestock Husbandry (IGN) were granted.

During a festive ceremony, PD Dr. Lorenz Gygax was awarded a special price for his publication „Wanting, liking and welfare: The role of affective states in proximate control of behaviour in vertebrates“ (https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12655). 

Photo; from left: Dr. A-C. Wöhr (President of the IGN, LMU München); PD Dr. L. Gygax (HU Berlin), Prof. Dr. B. Puppe (selection commitee of the IGN research award, FBN Dummerstorf).

Cleaning action at the research station - the student council is getting involved!

On October 5, members of our department collaborated with colleagues from the Campus Dahlem research station, the technical department and students of the Thaer-Institut faculty to dismantle old test facilities to make room for new projects.

In good weather sawed, screwed and smashed.

For strengthening there were sausages from the grill and homemade cakes.