ÖkoGen

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In the ÖkoGen project we are looking into the question of whether local chicken breeds are suitable for organic farming. For this purpose, the breeds Altsteirer, Bielefelder and Ramelsloher, as well as their crosses with fattening and laying lines are being researched with regard to various aspects:

• The work packages animal health in terms of bone stability, resistance to endoparasites, immunocompetence & virus resistance are investigated at project partners. This also applies to the work packages product quality and marketing, animal nutrition and breeding management.
• At the Bonn site, the focus is on animal welfare and the measurement of animal welfare indicators. Which indicators can be collected automatically? How do the different genotypes differ from each other? And how can technology help to increase animal welfare during the chicken's life according to need?