Access to research barn for beef cattle

The research barn for beef cattle is used for studies related to beef production with animals over six months of age. It supports a wide range of research, including feeding, bedding, and behavioral trials, and enables the development of practical applications to support farmers.

The uninsulated research barn can accommodate up to 132 cattle, depending on their weight. There are 22 pens, each housing up to five or six animals. Half of the pen area is a solid-floor manure passage and half is a permanently dry lying area. The permanently dry lying area allows for the testing of different bedding materials.

Each pen has two feeding troughs, which enable individual feed consumption to be monitored. Drinking water consumption can be measured for each pen. In addition, the barn is equipped with devices for weighing animals, measuring the surface area of the back muscles and the amount of fat by ultrasound, and monitoring the health, welfare, and behavior of the animals. 

The animals are fed a mixed feed, which allows for the use of many different types of feed.

In accordance with the agreement, the service includes the care of the animals during the familiarization period and the experiment itself, as well as monitoring of the animals' production parameters (feed intake, growth, feed utilization, carcass and meat quality), health, welfare, and behavior.

Feeding protocols, measurements, other procedures, and data collection and delivery are defined in a separate research plan tailored to each trial.

• Analytical samples from feeding trials weekly or in collection batches (e.g., every four weeks).
• Animal weighing every 2–4 weeks.
• Individual feeding data and pen-level water consumption recorded daily.
• Ultrasound measurements at the beginning and end of the trial, with optional additional measurements during the trial.
• In bedding trials, measurements may include bedding consumption, bedding temperature, and gas emissions weekly.
• In behavioral trials, pens can be combined and feeding/drinking points limited.
• Daily video recording is possible using two cameras per pen. Animal behavior can also be studied during weighing and handling situations.
• Thermal imaging can be conducted in pens and handling areas using handheld devices.

Researchers, research groups, research communities, research networks, research projects, research organizations, companies.

• Physical, remote or hybrid access.
• Feeding trials for beef cattle typically last about one year but may be longer.
• Before the feeding trial (approx. two months) and, where applicable, during the trial, various research devices can be installed in the barn, and other studies such as bedding and behavioral trials can be conducted.

• Only cattle breeds approved in Finland.
• Trials under animal experiment permits can be conducted.
• Separate salmonella certificates may be required, e.g., when using special feeds.

• Desired breed, sex, number of animals, rearing period, and/or target slaughter weight.
• Preferred bedding material.
• Required roughage and concentrate feeds (note: special feeds must be confirmed well in advance, approx. 1.5 years before trial start).
• Animal grouping and group size per pen.
• Required samples, sampling intervals, and planned analyses.