DIEKUH innovation network

Digitalization, automation and holistic resource management in cattle farming

The aim of the innovation network is to develop innovative concepts, technologies and techniques (hardware and software) using the example of hoof and herd animal husbandry - as a representative of industrial animal husbandry - which support and promote the necessary step towards climate- and resource-friendly, animal welfare-oriented, regional and economical animal production.

The key data of a holistic vision for the modern, regional cowshed in the year 2030 serve as the content orientation for research and development work. The cowshed 2030 is a network node with a modular technical structure and offers ideal conditions for a defined number of cows and workers as well as short distances. Intensive use of sensor technology helps to detect diseases and stress in the animals. Digital records and artificial intelligence not only support herd management, but also form the basis for targeted care or veterinary measures. The blanket administration of medication is a thing of the past. All activities, from feeding / watering, mucking out and milking to cleaning and caring for the animals, are highly automated.

The workplaces in the 2030 cowshed are modern and high-tech. All energy reserves - from the temperature difference of the milk (38°C when leaving the udder to 6°C storage temperature) to the conversion of liquid manure into electricity and the utilization of the energy of methane gas (exhaled by the cows) - are tapped and, supported by wind and solar power, completely cover the energy requirements of the cowshed. As a regional node and depending on its size, further modules such as a slaughterhouse, milk filling station or dairy can be connected to the 2030 cowshed. Here, networking with regional partners (butchers, restaurants) is conceivable, thus aligning with regional and local needs. Of course, mobile slaughterhouses are also possible, which at least make the torturous transportation of animals unnecessary.

_{The innovation network for digitalization, automation and holistic resource management in cattle farming, DIEKUH for short, is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) as part of the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM).}