Invited review: Development of a dairy barn concept to improve animal welfare

Owing to political and societal requirements, farmers are required to produce animal-friendly and sustainable products in an economic manner. Investments have been made to improve housing conditions for farm animals such as cattle, but further improvements regarding animal welfare of dairy husbandry are needed to regain societal acceptance. In this review, we first provide a brief overview of current housing and management conditions of dairy cattle worldwide as well as their impact on animal welfare of calves, young stock, and dairy cows. This framework was the basis to develop a concept for an alternative demonstration and research barn, the "future dairy barn" (FDB). Crucial for this barn concept was the consideration of the natural behavior of all cattle belonging to a herd to improve animal welfare. Consequently, the FDB concept integrated a family herd that avoids regrouping and enables stable social relationships, a free lying area to allow species-typical lying behavior and pasture or paddock access to enable the cattle to stay indoors or outdoors. This alternative dairy barn concept should help answer research questions on animal welfare in a uniform social and physical environment in long-term investigations. The construction of the FDB aims to support the future of dairy farming.