Today's animal husbandry has to meet many requirements - consumer acceptance, animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Under these requirements concrete slats don't look sustainable. However what about cost-efficient production while meeting these requirements?
To establish higher minimum welfare standards for keeping beef cattle in Lower Saxony, an animal welfare guideline has been established. This is intended to provide support in the animal welfare assessment of new buildings and conversions. The joint effort of public authorities, agriculture and animal welfare organisations formulates 
the first specific animal welfare requirements for beef cattle in Germany as a consensus paper. Kathrin Herzog from Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety describes the animal welfare guideline in the attached document. First experience from practice show that improved housing conditions, which are oriented towards the needs of fattening cattle do not compete to economic livestock husbandry.