Lower Saxony wants to get out of the Tethering for cattle exit. The state agriculture ministry and the state representative for animal protection presented the plans for this on Thursday together with representatives of the rural people and the state animal protection association. “It’s just a question of how, not a question of whether,” emphasized Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte (Greens). “The suffering of cattle kept in tethered conditions must finally end.”
Tethering means that farm animals – especially cattle – are secured to a fixed place in the stable with a chain, rope or metal frame around the neck. The animals can only use an area of around two square meters – for standing, lying, eating and excreting – but cannot turn around or walk around.
Natural behaviors such as social contact with other animals or comprehensive personal hygiene are almost completely prevented. Due to the permanent fixation on hard or dirty floors, the animals often suffer from joint damage, inflammation and claw problems.
While there is a ban on permanent tethering in Germany has been decided but not yet implementedcombined or seasonal tethering is still widely practiced. Combined means that the animals are left off the chain or rope for part of the day. Seasonal means that they can spend part of the year outdoors or in the playpen.
More than a million cattle tied up
The planned amendment to the Animal Protection Act provided for a more far-reaching ban, but this failed in 2004 when the traffic light coalition broke up. The FDP castigated the draft as too bureaucratic and called for “animal protection with a sense of proportion”.
The Greens, on the other hand, pushed for stricter rules and shorter transition periods for the ban on tethering. In addition, there was strong resistance from farmers, particularly in southern Germany, against the planned end of tethering. Many companies feared that they would not be able to finance the necessary stable conversions, which increased the political pressure on the FDP and the Union.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Hanover, more than a million cattle across Germany are still kept tied up in stables on farms. According to the ministry’s knowledge, there are still well over a thousand farms in Lower Saxony in which cattle are kept tied up for several months of the year or for several hours a day.
Against this background, Lower Saxony is now going it alone. The state animal protection officer Julia Pfeiffer-Schlichting named the key points for the phase-out, which is to be implemented politically in the form of a ministerial decree and later a general decree.
Due to the permanent fixation on hard or dirty floors, the animals often suffer from joint damage, inflammation and claw problems
Farms that do not allow their cattle to run outside despite the ban and keep them tied up all year round must therefore report to the veterinary authorities within six months of the announcement of the general order and inform them whether they are switching to a different farming system or giving up the affected cattle farming.
A transition period of 18 months applies to these companies. During this time they have to convert the tethered farming system or end this form of animal husbandry.
Businesses with combined or seasonal tethered farming must announce within three years whether they are converting animal husbandry or discontinuing cattle farming. The conversion must be completed by the end of a period of seven years at the latest, but can be extended for a further two years in justified individual cases.
Companies that do not comply with their reporting obligation or do not want to give up cattle farming must stop keeping cattle after five years.
Competitive advantage at the expense of animals
The state farmers’ association is critical of the exit from tethered farming, but as a result it is “clearly behind this step,” said Landvolk Vice President Frank Kohlenberg. “An animal that can move freely does better than an animal that is tied up all day.”
At the same time, agriculture must continue to exist. What is crucial is “that the change takes place in a practical manner and with a sense of proportion”. The conversion to freestall housing requires long, reliable time frames and realistic transition periods. Without sufficient financial support, the exit will not be successful.
Dieter Ruhnke, chairman of the state animal protection association, pointed out that the “completely outdated” tethering system gave the animal owners concerned an economic advantage over farmers who kept animals in a species-appropriate manner: “A competitive advantage at the expense of the animals.”