EuroTier 2024 Awards Innovation in Livestock Farming

An independent jury appointed by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) selected the winners based on strict criteria for evaluating product innovation. Out of 214 qualified submissions, 25 products received awards, with 4 earning the gold award and 21 the silver.

EuroTier has traditionally served as a key platform for showcasing innovations in the livestock and poultry sectors, drawing the attention of industry leaders and setting directions for future agricultural developments. The awarded products demonstrated significant functional improvements and the potential to create new processes in production.

Notably, the winners of the Innovation Award in Gold (in dairy farming) included: 

• The Cow-Welfare Flex stall (Hall 12, Stand B49), which introduces fresh air directly into the resting area of individual cows for the first time, thus providing effective cooling and helping to prevent heat stress.

• CalfGPT by Förster-Technik (Hall 13, Stand D35) introduces voice-controlled data management using artificial intelligence for calf care for the first time, significantly simplifying calf management.

The winners of the Silver Innovation Award (in dairy farming) are:

• BETEBE Straw Express (Hall 12, Stand F26): This system allows for the automatic removal of bale ties from straw bales, minimizing exposure to bedding systems for stalls, sloped floors, or deep litter barns. The automatic removal of baler twine also enables the storage of up to twelve straw bales in a compact vertical bale magazine. Combined with a debris removal system, it can fully automate the disposal of waste and reduce dust formation in the barn.

• CowManager GmbH (Hall 11, Stand F55): Introduces calf health monitoring using an ear sensor for the first time. The system employs machine learning algorithms to improve predictions regarding the health of individual calves, with alerts adapted to the age of the animals.

• Spinder Dairy Farm Housing Concepts (Hall 12, Stand D03): Changes in group sizes are common in cow housing, but gates are usually fixed in place and difficult to replace. Spinder offers a solution with "Spinder Track," allowing living space to be adapted to group size using rail-mounted gates. The system is easy to operate and can be installed in both new and existing barns.

• URBAN GmbH & Co. KG - Urban SipControl (Hall 13, Stand B09): This innovative system monitors and improves calf feeding conditions by analyzing and regulating the drinking process. SipControl measures sucking force and swallowing actions in high resolution and adapts feeding processes to individual animals.

• Zinpro Corporation (Hall 22, Stand C31): Zinpro IsoFerm is a blend of volatile fatty acids that naturally occur in the rumen during the breakdown of branched-chain amino acids, promoting the growth of cellulolytic microbes.

• HIKO GmbH - ‘Easyfill’ Feeding Bucket Lid with Filling Hole (Hall 11, Stand D59): Offers a practical solution with a feeding bucket lid equipped with a self-closing hole, allowing easy filling through a milk shuttle spout at any time.

• SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH - ATMOWELL® Technology with Urease Inhibitor (Hall 12, Stand F23): SKW has developed a urease inhibitor for cattle barn floors, along with a dosing, mixing, and filling unit. Combined with scraper technology, this system significantly reduces ammonia emissions at the source in cattle barns.