Increase animal welfare with optimal farm housing

Animal welfare and comfort is one of the top priorities when building or refurbishing your animal housing. The quality of your buildings has a big impact on your animals’ mental and physical wellbeing. And healthy animals produce more and grow faster. Euronit has been investing in animal welfare for decades, providing roofing solutions to keep your animals perfectly happy and healthy.

Five aspects of animal welfare on your farm

Animal welfare has been on the agenda of governments and associations for decades. Cruelty or neglect of animals is not only immoral and illegal, it is also counterproductive for your business. When living conditions are optimal, your animals will grow faster, they will be healthier and produce more, no matter if you are into milk, meat, eggs or offspring.

Already back in 1965, the UK government formulated the so-called ‘five freedoms’ for animals to thrive. Since then, many organisations, professional groups of veterinarians and even the World Organisation for Animal Health have adopted these five guiding principles for responsible animal treatment. Animals should be:

*** Free from hunger and thirst** – access to fresh water and appropriate food.

• Free from discomfort –an appropriate living environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

• Free from pain, injury or disease – both prevention as well as rapid diagnosis and treatment in case of symptoms.

• **Free to express normal behaviour **–sufficient space, proper facilities and companions.

• Free from fear and distress –conditions and treatment that does not generate mental suffering.

Considerations for your farm-animal housing

New buildings for your animals represent a considerable investment, so you want to get it right. They should take into account the five freedoms mentioned above. With optimal living conditions you maximise animal performance and minimise diseases and mortality. And the level of production goes hand in hand with your return on investment.

Also inform yourself about the latest regulations for animal housing. They tend to become stricter, not only for the sake of animal welfare, but also because of ecological considerations and the potential impact on your neighbourhood. Make sure you comply with the regulations to protect your investment against possible complaints and infractions. And talking about protection, also think of ways to **secure your assets **properly, against calamities or theft for instance.

Last but not least, also think about yourself. Your buildings should also be as comfortable as possible for staff working there. Consider systems that make your own life easier e.g. when feeding your animals, cleaning your stables, moving your livestock and so on.

Seven key requirements for new animal housing

When building new housing for your farm animals, you need to think about these seven items to create optimal living conditions for your livestock, but also a comfortable working environment for you and your staff.

• Access: make sure the animals have easy access to their living quarters and shelter.

*** Feed**: provide appropriate nutrition and fresh water, free from potential contamination.

*** Biosecurity**: use materials that are resistant to mould, rot and other harmful organisms.

• Wildlife control: create unfavourable conditions for pests to bother your animals.

• Weather protection: use materials that protect efficiently against cold, sun, wind and precipitation.

• Light: foresee natural daylight as it has a positive effect on your animals.

• Ventilation: your livestock produces moist, so proper ventilation is key to keep them dry.

Let Euronit help you care for your animals

Animal welfare is at the centre of everything we do. The Euronit roofing sheets have the perfect qualities to protect your animals from the weather, rain or shine. They are made of robust fibre cement that resists mould, pests, rot, rust and corrosion. Euronit’s undulated structure allows for generous ventilation and thanks to its absorption properties, condensation does not drip back on your animals or in their feed. Last but not least, the translucent sheets let light into your building, creating** the ideal conditions for your animals to thrive. **