Safety on all paths: A sure-footed, resilient stable floor is essential for animal welfare in German stables. What has long been standard in horse stables should now also benefit dairy and fattening cattle. The experts from the DIN standards committee "Elastomer mats" have presented two DIN standards on the application and use of elastic stable floor coverings in the walking and lying areas of calves, beef cattle and dairy cows. The aim is to set new standards for animal welfare, consumer protection and environmental protection throughout Germany.
Experts believe that a sensible floor design based on elastomer mats can fulfil the needs of cattle, cows and calves when standing and lying down. The team of experts presented the two DIN standards for animal welfare and consumer protection to the Bavarian State Ministers Michaela Kaniber (Food, Agriculture and Forestry) and Ulrike Scharf (Family, Labour and Social Affairs) and discussed their legal anchoring in Germany.
Uniform standards for high-quality, animal-friendly floor coverings
DIN 3763 provides clear definitions and requirements regarding animal-friendliness, slip resistance, abrasion resistance and acid resistance. Animal and consumer protection is also taken into account in the standard. DIN 3762 serves to protect animals and consumers from harmful chemicals (PAHs). The DIN standards committee, which also included two representatives from NEW LIFE partner Kraiburg Elastik, has spoken out in favour of applying the standards in regulations and funding programmes.
Rubber mats for stable floors made from environmentally friendly and resource-saving ELT recycled rubber can withstand the heavy loads in animal husbandry and also fulfil the new DIN standards for animal welfare and consumer protection. The animal-friendly, soft yet robust stable floor coverings are optimally adapted to every requirement and thus ensure greater well-being, higher productivity and economic efficiency.
Soft soil conditions (similar to those on pasture) promote the natural behaviour of the cow and therefore its health and milk yield. Many years of experience make it possible to develop specially optimised products for a wide range of applications, whether for dairy cattle, young cattle, bulls or pigs.
NEW LIFE is committed to species-appropriate livestock farming
The NEW LIFE partners have been committed to species-appropriate animal husbandry in stables for years with non-slip, hard-wearing and pleasantly elastic floor coverings made from sustainable ELT recycled material. They now want to ensure that no carcinogenic substances enter the milk via the udder in dairy cattle. NEW LIFE believes that it is a question of fairness and responsibility if every manufacturer has to comply with the same high standards.
ELT rubber mats are not only tested by NEW LIFE manufacturers in their own laboratories, but also in many test stables directly by the animals themselves and by independent organisations. The DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e.V. - German Agricultural Society) has already honoured many NEW LIFE products.
