Happy cows: A look behind the scenes at Bergwiesenhof Eiffert

Happy cows: A look behind the scenes at Bergwiesenhof Eiffert

The annual meeting of the Hessian Association for Performance and Quality Testing in Animal Breeding (HVL) recently took place in the picturesque Sinntal. There, farmers and experts discussed pressing issues affecting dairy farming. The average milk yield per cow was an impressive 9,201 kg, while the top farms in the Main-Kinzig district even achieved 9,463 kg. But appearances are deceptive: the number of farms and dairy cows has fallen alarmingly. According to current reports, Hesse has lost around 5,000 cows in just one year, which is seen as a clear warning signal wochenblatt.com reported. This means less income from milk performance testing (MLP) and an accelerated decline in the breeding stock market.

Challenges for dairy farming

In view of the strict legal requirements and the increasing pressure from animal welfare regulations, many companies are reaching their limits. The managing director of the HVL, Dr. Gesine Witzel, pointed out that the number of Hessian companies participating in the MLP has fallen by 70. The decline in Hesse is alarming, and together with the losses in Thuringia, the figures show the immense challenge the industry is facing. Fewer cows also mean fewer inseminations and thus falling breeding stock sales, which frustrates many farmers kinzig.news.

A ray of hope on the horizon is the Bergwiesenhof Eiffert in Breunings, where the focus is on caring for the around 150 dairy cows. The managers emphasize how important the welfare of the animals is to them. They offer species-appropriate housing with daylight and spacious stables. Nevertheless, the decline in cows shows that it is crucial to offer farmers not only better prices, but also an overall positive outlook for the future of milk production. While the industry is suffering from current conditions, the question remains: How can these challenges be overcome in the long term?