FreeWalk RG: ERA-net SUSAN: Develop economic sound free walk farming systems elevating animal welfare, health and manure quality, while being appreciated by society

The aim of this project is to research and further develop free walk cattle farming systems that improve animal welfare, longevity and manure quality, and increase capital efficiency, while adressing environmental impacts. This system is expected to improve the social and economic resilience of farming.
This project deals with intensive dairy farming and extensive suckler cows and beef grazing farms. The innovative housing systems at the heart of this project are the “bedded pack barn” or “compost barn” and the “cow garden”. The bedded pack barn has a completely free walking and lying area, which typically consists of a convenient floor of (semi)composting materials that transforms waste materials into resources to be used as soil improver. The cow garden has an artificial floor of several layers, separating urine and faeces, allowing flexible fertilization. Robotic cleaning of the artificial floor takes place, while garden elements are integrated in the housing. Both innovative housing systems will be further developed and tested for economic and societal resilience. The housing system is called the Free Walk housing (FWH). The Free Walk Farming system (FWF) is defined as an integration of free walk housing and grazing, allowing the animals a direct exposure to the outside environment, including the application of the compost and/or faeces and urine from the barn. During the grazing period, the compost lying area will be utilized for raising pigs or poultry or for horticulture. From 4 to 120 recently built bedded pack Barns are found in the participating countries; The cow garden is experimentally implemented on 3 farms. However, this farming system has not yet been fully scientifically tested until now and questions have been raised by local authorities and processing plants about the impact on environment and product quality.
This leads to the following hypotheses to be tested:
Main: The FWF system will be a breakthrough in friendly cattle farming, while improving the sustainability and future perspective of the sector as a whole; however, differences will be found between climatic regions.
Sub 1. FWH results in improved welfare and longevity of cattle
Sub 2. Composted bedding material used as soil improver leads to a better manure quality and to storage of C in the soil (carbon sequestration)
Sub 3: An artificial permeable floor leads to two fertilizers, offering flexibility in fertilizing practice
Sub 4. N-losses of both FWF systems are comparable or lower than for cubicle housing
Sub 5. The FWF system yields a positive economic benefit and elevates society appreciation
Sub 6. FWF systems affect animal welfare and organic farming regulations (Skal) at EU level.

The project consortium expresses an interdisciplinary approach. The participants are all involved in new housing and/or welfare initiatives. The compost bedding system is internationally seen most common.
A multi-actor approach is adopted by involving a wide spectrum of partners, covering the whole cattle chain and their stakeholders. delivering animal science know-how; The combination of socio-economic research with case farms provides
the public with a clear picture of alternative ways of farming instead of rather abstract questions about farming at a distance.