Odour from Dairy Farm Systems

The Australian livestock sector lacks odour emission data for dairy farms, relying only on limited data from pig farms and cattle feedlots. With the trend toward larger herds and intensive systems such as freestall and loose housing, there is an urgent need to establish an industry-specific dataset to validate predictive methods for determining appropriate separation distances between intensive dairy farms and nearby receptors like dwellings and townships. Because manure management in housed dairy facilities differs significantly from other livestock systems, it can greatly influence odour emissions and recommended separation distances, making dairy-specific research critical.