Main areas of work

Human-animal relationship

Human-animal relationships in various animal species with a focus on cattle, but also horses and in cooperation with the other working groups, pets, poultry etc
The following topics are dealt with in an interdisciplinary manner, taking into account both sides of the relationship, humans and animals:

• Causes of differences in the human-animal relationship
• Effects of different human-animal interactions and relationships on animal welfare and aspects of human welfare
• Assessment of the human-animal relationship, i.e. development of reliable, meaningful tests and indicators

Husbandry, behavior and welfare of ruminants

Husbandry, behavior and welfare of ruminants with a focus on cattle and goats with the main topics:

• Social behavior and personality in cattle and goats with a focus on ontogenesis and interaction with environmental factors (husbandry, management, human-animal relationship)
• Assessment of welfare on practical farms including development of indicators (also in poultry)
• Innovative, animal-friendly and sustainable husbandry systems
• Alternatives to dehorning in cattle and goats and the impact of the procedure

Selected projects

Interaction with humans and positive emotions in cattle

Comparison of gradual weaning and weaning via nose flap with regard to the stress load for cow and calf in mother-bonded calf rearing (dissertation project Anina Vogt, University of Giessen, in cooperation with the Thünen Institute of Organic Farming)

Survey on reasons for keeping horses individually or in groups among horse owners, stable owners and people working in the equine sector in Austria and other German-speaking countries

Selected publications by our team members

Juffinger, A; Schoiswohl, J; Stanitznig, A; Krametter-Frötscher, R; Wittek, T; Waiblinger, S (2021): Mechanical nociceptive threshold, tissue alterations and horn growth in calves after injection of isoeugenol or clove oil under the horn bud. Animals (Basel). 2021; 11(3):828 https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11030828

Waiblinger, S., Wagner, K., Hillmann, E., & Barth, K. (2020). Play and social behavior of calves with or without access to their dam and other cows. Journal of Dairy Research, 87 (S1), 144- 147.https://doi:10.1017/S0022029920000540

Waiblinger, S., Wagner, K., Hillmann, E., Barth, K. 2020. Short- and long-term effects of rearing dairy calves with contact to their mother on their reactions towards humans. Journal of Dairy Research 87 (S1): 148-153. DOI: 10.1017/S0022029920000576.

Lange, A; Waiblinger, S; Heinke, A; Barth, K; Futschik, A; Lürzel, S (2020): Gentle interactions with restrained and free-moving cows: Effects on the improvement of the animal-human relationship. PLoS One. 2020; 15(11):e0242873 doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242873

Andreasen, S. N., Sandøe, P., Waiblinger, S., Forkman, B. 2020. Negative attitudes of Danish dairy farmers to their livestock correlated negatively with animal welfare. Animal Welfare 29: 89-98. DOI: 10.7120/09627286.29.1.089.

Waiblinger, S. 2019. agricultural animals. In: Hosey, G., Melfi, V. (eds.), Anthrozoology: Human-animal Interactions in Domesticated and Wild Animals. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp. 32-58. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198753629.003.0003.