Josef Schenkenfelder

Josef Schenkenfelder is a Researcher at the Institute of Livestock Sciences within the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). His work focuses on animal welfare, particularly dairy cow welfare assessment and improvement strategies. He serves as staff on significant projects including the EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare - Ruminants and Equines.

Dr. Schenkenfelder completed his PhD on 'Dairy cow welfare in Austria - risk indicators and farmers' motivation for improvement' between 2017-2021. He holds diplomas in Organic Agriculture (2016) and Food Science and Technology (2010), both from BOKU, as well as a qualification in Agrarian Pedagogy from the University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy (2014).

His research interests center on livestock ethology, animal husbandry practices, and the development of welfare assessment protocols. Schenkenfelder's work bridges scientific research with practical implementation on farms, focusing particularly on understanding farmers' perspectives and motivations for improving animal welfare. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in developing assessment frameworks and indicator systems for evaluating animal welfare conditions, especially regarding visual and tactile contact in calf housing systems.

His research outputs show a strong emphasis on practical applications of animal welfare science, with publications focusing on developing assessment tools, risk indicators, and understanding the human dimensions of welfare improvement. The work consistently addresses the intersection of scientific welfare assessment and practical farm implementation.

• Tierschutz-Forschungspreis 2022/23 der Plattform "Österreichische Tierärztinnen und Tierärzte für Tierschutz" (ÖTT), 2023
• 1. Preis in der Kategorie 'Wissenschaftlicher Vortrag' beim 22. Semester-Touchdown der Agrarwissenschaften, 2022
• Forschungspreis der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Nutztierhaltung (IGN), 2022
• 1. Preis in der Kategorie 'Wissenschaftlicher Vortrag' beim 14. Semester-Touchdown der Agrarwissenschaften, 2018

Dr. Schenkenfelder has supervised Master's level research, including work applying Q Methodology to investigate farmers' viewpoints on animal welfare improvement. He is actively involved in the EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare - Ruminants and Equines project, which runs from 2021-2030, and contributes to the 'Risk-based model for dairy herd welfare: field data collection' project (2024-2026). His work connects with various stakeholders including farmers, veterinary professionals, and EU regulatory bodies.