Digitalisation, automation and partial/full mobile slaughter – new impetus and valuable exchange of experiences
The network meeting of the Impulsbetriebe Rind (cattle) in June 2025 focused on digitalisation and partial/fully mobile slaughtering. The meeting point on the first day was the Impulsbetrieb Agrarprodukte Kitzen near Leipzig. After refreshments, including products from the farm, the participants were introduced to the structure of the cooperative and then set off together on a tour of the farm. The focus was primarily on the batch milking system and the treatment centre. The "calf village" and the dry cow area were also viewed, and there was a lively exchange among the participants throughout the tour. After a coffee break, Isabella Lorenzini from LfL Bayern provided an exciting insight into the results of the DigiMilch project with a focus on "networked barn technology". This provided some useful suggestions and ideas. In the evening, there was a special highlight in the form of a joint meal: despite the often very long journeys to get there, the participants stayed late to discuss and exchange their experiences with different automation solutions and sensor-based health management systems.
The next morning, after breakfast, the participants drove to the Öko-Feldtage (eco field days) at Wassergut Canitz. There, the group was given a guided tour of various exhibitors focusing on the topic of "partial and fully mobile slaughtering". For example, they visited the mobile slaughtering units of Uria e.V. and the T-Trailer, a slaughtering trailer from the company ISS. They also saw a prototype of a fully mobile slaughter unit for cattle from the Cantek Group, which is currently being supported by the University of Leipzig in order to obtain the necessary approval for Germany. The network meeting concluded at the stand of the Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl (Animal Welfare Focus Network) project, where two pioneering farms presented their experiences with cow-bound calf rearing in the impulse lounge. After the official farewell, the participants had time to gather information from the various exhibitors and network. In autumn, the farm network will then set off on an excursion to Switzerland to gain new inspiration.
Author: Anne Zinkowski, FiBL Deutschland e.V.