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Freie Universität Bozen

Animal Science Research Lab

Description

We have the following complementary strands to our expertise: evaluation of animal’s functional traits and product quality, assessment of the husbandry systems and how they affect animal welfare and animal health (e.g. parasitic diseases). Additionally animal behaviour is used as an indicator for the early detection of diseases and welfare problems. The lab activities are performed either externally in experimental farms (e.g. Dietenheim) where research protocols are applied to evaluate the level of animal’s health and welfare and the evolution or their functional traits, or internally where the collected biological samples (e.g. faecal samples), animal products (e.g. meat) or the collected data (e.g. welfare and/or behavioural data) are analysed in the laboratory facilities.

Research Focus

Animal Science Research Laboratory is part of the Animal Science group in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the Free University of Bolzano. Our main research focus is to translate good science into practical experience, therefore we work in close cooperation with farmers, cooperatives and advisory bodies evaluating the functional traits of the livestock population, the economic and environmental impact of the livestock production systems, while aiming at raising the health and welfare standards of cattle, small ruminants, broilers and laying hens.

Main Instrumentation

Diagnosis of health and physiological parameters:

  • Microscopes
  • Stereoscopes
  • McMaster counting chambers
  • Baermann technique equipment
  • Faecal smear equipment
  • Hot plate stirrer
  • Analytical Balances

Behavioural recording:

  • RumiWatch noseband and pedometer sensors (behaviour recording)
  • RumiWatch Manager (behaviour analysis)
  • Network video recording system with associated cameras  (behaviour recording)
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Video Coding Software

Equipment that record animal performance and animal products quality:

  • Mobile house for broiler and laying hens
  • Large and small animal scales
  • Digital Ultrasound imaging system
  • Egg quality measuring system
  • Haugh Tester (measure the height of egg albumen) for Haugh unit determination
  • Egg shell tester
  • Yolk colour fan
  • pH meter
  • Electrical conductivity meter


 

Location

K U.06

Head

Matthias Gauly

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