Mad cow disease in England: Atypical BSE case causes a stir.
A case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been discovered on a farm in East England.
High-tech in the barn: In Switzerland, the first cow toilet is launched - it brings cows to the toilet and significantly reduces ammonia.
Ammonia emissions from animal husbandry pose a significant burden on the environment and climate. Especially in dairy farming, the mixing of feces and urine leads to the release of ammonia, an environmentally harmful gas. An innovative solution is offered by the so-called CowToilet, which has now been introduced for the first time in Switzerland.
What is the cow toilet?
The CowToilet is a system that collects the urine of cows directly when they excrete it, before it can mix with feces. This prevents the formation of ammonia, as the enzyme urease, which converts urea in urine to ammonia, is mainly found in feces. By separating the two excretions, emissions can be significantly reduced.
The CowToilet was developed by the Dutch company Hanskamp. The system utilizes a natural reflex of the cow: by gentle pressure on a nerve near the udder, the urge to urinate is triggered, and the urine can be collected in a special container. The cows are motivated to use the toilet by the prospect of concentrate feed.
The separation of feces and urine improves air quality
According to the manufacturer, the construction of the CowToilet in the dairy barn brings several advantages: reducing ammonia emissions: less ammonia means less air pollution and lower burden on soils and waters. Improving stable hygiene: dry and clean stable floors promote hoof health and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases in animals and humans. Using urine as fertilizer: the separately collected urine can be used as high-quality liquid fertilizer, reducing the use of artificial fertilizers.
First CowToilet in Switzerland in Hellbühl
On June 18, 2025, the first CowToilet in Switzerland will be presented to the public at the Röösli farm in Hellbühl LU. The Lucerne Farmers' and Farmers' Association, together with other partners, invite to an information event where the functionality and benefits of the system will be explained. Experts from Agroscope and the University of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences (HAFL) will speak about the technical details and the potential for reducing emissions. In addition, the farm managers Franz and Janis Röösli and the stable builder Frank Rindlisbacher will share their experiences with the construction and commissioning of the CowToilet.