Paula Heine takes over breeding management: focus on the future of cattle!

Paula Heine takes over breeding management: focus on the future of cattle!

Paula Heine has been appointed as the new breeding manager for the Miesbach, Weilheim and Traunstein cattle breeding associations. She is following in the footsteps of Rudolf Maierhofer, who has retired. Associated with her election is a clear focus on the future of livestock farming in Bavaria, such as Mercury reported.

Heine brings valuable experience, having served as deputy for the past two years. Her studies in agricultural sciences with a focus on dairy farming at the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences and her doctorate at the LMU Munich have strengthened her expertise. She receives support from the deputy breeding manager Svenja Heinen and the specialist advisors Simon Mühlbacher and Tobias Zeltsperger.

Focus on animal welfare and tradition

The new breeding management will focus in particular on various breeds of cattle, including Fleckvieh, Braunvieh and Holstein, as well as endangered breeds such as the Murnau-Werdenfelser, the Original Braunvieh and the Pinzgauer. The AELF Holzkirchen, under the leadership of Heine, looks after around 155,000 cattle recorded in the breeding register and more than 3,000 farms. Margarete Kohnert, head of the agriculture department, was optimistic about Heine's new responsibility for the cultural landscape and its future development.

The topic of animal welfare is very important not only in Bavaria, but also in Tyrol. Master's graduate Sandro Gstrein from the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences conducted a comprehensive survey on cattle farming in Tyrol. This survey brought together the opinions of over 5,300 farmers and aimed to collect valuable data on the way cows are kept, he continued HSWT continued. The study participants stated that 77% of them keep the cows in combination housing, while only 23% use free stall housing.

Challenges in livestock farming

As a survey by Gstrein shows, the human-animal relationship is of great importance for many farmers. However, they also face challenges that affect not only husbandry but also the health of the animals. Climate change plays a crucial role here, as highlighted at the DLG annual meeting. Prof. Uta Dickhöfer from the University of Kiel discussed the problems caused by heat stress and fluctuating feed supplies. Breeding strategies that produce heat-tolerant livestock breeds, as well as adjustments to the husbandry environment, are considered urgently needed, reported the DLG.

Such a perspective is particularly important considering that the zoonosis risks in livestock farming are increasing and a high level of biosecurity is required. Prof. Sascha Knauf from FLI highlighted the role of multi-resistant germs and the need for an effective One Health approach - which combines the health of humans, animals and the environment. In this context, the responsibility of agricultural scientists and breeders is essential to care not only for the animals, but also for the health of the entire ecosystem.

At a time when the challenges are becoming more and more diverse, the new breeding management under Paula Heine is committed to responsible and future-oriented livestock farming. A good hand in implementing these goals could be of great benefit to both the farms and the animals.