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Institute of Farm Animal Genetics (ING)

Experimental Station Mariensee/Mecklenhorst

Responsibilities of the experimental station include caring for the animals required for scientific research under conditions appropriate to the research and to each type of animal - including the production of basic foodstuffs and dietary supplements of consistent high quality. Cows, pigs, sheep and poultry are presently maintained at the research station, and for a number of years research also included the performance physiology of sport horses. The research station is an accredited educational facility and every year it accepts 2 to 3 trainees. It is integrated into the examination system for young farmers from the entire region of Hannover and, for that purpose, the Institute is visited by students and technical trainees in the subjects of agriculture and veterinary medicine. The proximity of the research station to the laboratories is particularly attractive for scientific investigations.

Major Responsibilities

  • Care of animals required for scientific investigations under conditions appropriate to the species involved and to the research
  • Production of basic foodstuffs of consistent high quality
  • Provision and maintenance of the research areas for the Institute and for research projects from outside the Institute, e.g. with the Bundessortenamt
  • Production of commersial crops and rotation of crops to the extent that this is meaningful and necessary

Goals

  • Species appropriate husbandry of domesticated animals
  • Environmentally friendly (extensive) animal production
  • Maintenance of farm animal genetic resources
  • Establishment of the biological needs of farm animals
  • Improved product quality in the production of agricultural animals
  • Environmentally sustainable farmland management
  • Development of new technologies in animl production 

Available stable capacities

  200 cattle, including 50 dairy cows + mother cows
1000 pigs, including 30 sows
  250 sheep
1300 poultry 

Areas for animal food production and research

ca. 280 ha in Mariensee      (ca. 692 acre)
ca. 250 ha in Mecklenhorst  (ca. 618 acre)