Centrale onderzoeksvraag/doelThe increasing maximum temperatures and the increasing number of days with elevated temperatures in Belgium can lead to heat stress in several animal species but pigs are particularly sensitive to this. In recent years, pig farmers have experienced much greater production losses and mortality on their farms.
Heat plan for Flemish pig farming
Internet-of-Cows: sensors for detection of heat and calving in dairy cattle
Sensors that continuously measure dairy cow behaviors such as lying down, walking, standing, eating and ruminating can predict timing of heat and calving within 2 and 24 hours in advance with high accuracy.
Mental stress in farmers is serious. (Seeking) help could be better
Unhealthy stress and the liveability of the Flemish farming family – call for participants in new research study
The intention is to find out the degree of long-term stress present in these families, what the causes are and how that stress is being handled.
Compared to other occupational categories, farmers seem to be more at risk for excessive mental stress. Complaints in this sector often remain under the radar for quite some time. More attention for this problem is needed, together with scientific substantiation of the problem and its causes.
Within that unity, there is a strong connection between stress factors, well-being, and the coping strategies applied. For example, a family that copes effectively with stress factors will be more resilient than a family that avoids or denies problems.
Farmer stress and mental well-being
Importantly, the extra parameter animal welfare, more specifically heat stress, will be included. We plan to test the monitoring system in the making (called OTICE ) in Flanders and at the different practical companies in the partner countries.
They can all form endospores which frequently survive industrial conditions of heating, desinfection and radiation. These sublethal conditions are an important selective pressure which acccording to observations can lead to selection of spores with a higher resistance.
Voor pluimvee worden de toevoegingen hieronder nog eens weergegeven: MB (16 augustus 2012) geeft definitie voor schuine wanden en voegt grondhuisvestingsystemen voor leghennen en opfokpoeljen van leghennen toe MB (19 juli 2013) voegt grondhuisvestingsysteem met warmeheaters toe voor slachtkuikens en voor opfokpoeljen van slachtkuikenouderdieren MB (
Electricity and heat from solar panels? Heat from a heat pump? The recently-started Horizon 2020 project RES4LIVE aims at replacing fossil fuels on livestock farms with cost-efficient solutions based on renewable energy.