Coenraad van Zyl

Coenraad van Zyl is a PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research, working within the Subdivision Adaptation Physiology. His research focuses on cow-calf contact systems in dairy farming, examining impacts on production, animal health, farm economics, and the environment across the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.

His educational background:

• MSc in Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, 2022
  • Major thesis: 'The effects of extended suckling in cow-calf contact systems on growth and metabolism of dairy calves' at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
  • Research practice: 'Economic, animal welfare and environmental impacts of solutions implemented by Danish dairy producers for improving resilience in the system' at Aarhus University (part of the European project Resilience For Dairy)

Van Zyl's research interests span dairy farming, animal health, animal physiology, animal welfare, metabolism, and sustainable livestock farming. His current PhD project titled 'Cow-calf contact in dairy systems: The impacts on production, animal health, farm economics and the environment' employs an integrated approach to improve dairy calf rearing and support farmers transitioning to cow-calf systems. Supervised by Dr Ariëtte van Knegsel, Dr Eddie Bokkers, and Prof. Bas Kemp, his work addresses critical challenges in sustainable livestock production through international collaboration.