April 16th. 1997

Report-File

Animal Protection Act;
Cattle-operation Altenweger, Oberhof 4, Schnaitsee

Conclusive interim report:

Because of grave problems with his cattle operation Mr Altenweger, at Obernhof 4, Schnaitsee asked for an inspection of his dairy herd and in case of findings for help. The circumstances that caused Mr Altenweger to call the Veterinarian Office has been described by Mr Altenweger as follows:
Since Fall 1995 Mr Altenweger has problems with his dairy herd that caused him severe economic losses. Mr Altenweger also observed since spring 1996 behavioural changes in his animals for which he could find no other explanation - except a possibly harmful influence from the nearby transmitter station.

1.) The following problems occured in his herd:

- increased aborting, without a determinable cause ( 5 cases within 15 months)

-fertility problems : According to the report of the insemination technician it was assumed to be a cyclic problem since no changes at the ovaries could be detected. The operation had very good fertility results in the years back.

- cows became emaciated and had to be slaughtered some also put down for illness. This very visible weightloss happend with two cows directly following the calving or the abortion.

- several cows have inflammations around the eyes and are noticably rubbing there eyes on anything around.

2.) The following abnormal behaviour was observed by Mr. Altenweger:

- several animals press their heads under the chest of the next animal while all animals maintain a uniform position with their heads (pointing away from the transmitter).

- several animals lift one foot constantly as if in pain, also a restless shifting from one side to the other.

- the cow "Gundi" tramples nearly permanently from on side to the other and also swings her head all the time (weaving);

- heifers, being pastured bei Mr.Altenweger on an ajacent lot only laid down behind the stonewall of the barn. All heifers had in the fall noticably thickened hind legs in the torsal joint area

Additionally Mr.Altenweger observered that of 6 swallow pairs, that nested in his stable, all had young which all died shortly after hatching. Not one of the young birds survived.

3.) Findings by the Veterinary Department Office [Landratsamt - Abt. Veterinaerwesen]

Mr. Altenweger informed Department 7 about these occurences by phone in November 1996 and requested help. The operation Altenweger was visited for the first time on November 29th 1996.
The behavioural anomalies reported by Mr Altenweger could be verified by observation on location at Obernhof and have mostly been documented on video.

4.) Conducted reserach :

To clarify possible causes for the established anomalies Department 7 asked the Bovine Department of the LM-University of Munich , Prof. Dr. Klee, to conduct an appropriate investigation. Prof.Dr. Klee visited the farm operation Altenweger on January 16th 1997.
Based on the anamnesis and investigation Prof.Dr.Klee concluded that it could be a feed and maintenance problem causing a disturbance in stomach acidity [rezidivierende Pausenazidose] that could have lead to hoof problems that could explain the abnormal trampling

The local veterinarians (Vet-clinic Dr. Boehn) conducted blood tests on several animals with the result showing a certain imbalance in minerals , whereby the significantly low calcium values could not be explained as Mr. Altenweger uses a high calcium enriched feed.

Beside the veterinarian investigation, Prof Dr.Kaes from the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich {German Military University} was asked to conduct a measurement of the locally present electro-magnetic fields.

Additionaly the Federal Office for Telecommunications conducted a measurement of electro-magnetic fields. Both measurements revealed that measurable electro-magnetic fields are present on the property of the farm operation Altenweger. The measured field strengths were below the set limit as given in the federal guidelines [ BImSchVO] {German emission safety code}

5.) Based on the above listed investigations the following has been implemented:

a) Feed content and quantity analysis to determine if a feeding problem is present.
The result showed feed content and quantity to be fully adequate in relation to the milk production of the animals. A primary cause of the problem being related to feed is herewith excluded.

b) Two afflicted animals were moved to an other farm in the hamlet of Trostberg 25 km away.
The animals were observed and video taped several times, before the move, during their stay in the other stable, and after their return. The test revealed that one animal ("Gundi") that suffered from noticable behavioural anomalies showed marked improvement in the 'guest' location and symptoms disappeard totally after 5 days. The second animal ("Belinda") developed shortly after the move a mastidis {udder infection} so that the evaluation if her condition improved in the 'guest' stable can not be assessed properly. However it was observerd that the abnormal feeding behaviour and very sluggish movement standing up present at the Altenweger property improved noticably in the guest location.

After the return to the farm operation Altenweger both animals showed a deterioration and return of symptoms of abnormal behaviour as previously observed.The second animal ("Belinda") was moved back to the guest location by Mr. Altenweger after about 2 weeks because her condition deteriorated rapidly.

c) After a 4 year old cow suddely deceased at the begining of March 1997 a post-mortem was conducted at the Institute for Animal Pathology at the University of Munich with the following result: Cause of death - acute coronary and circulatory failure - no underlaying cause was found. Noticable was the dry and unsufficiently chewed content of the stomachs.

6. Conclusion;

a) The presence of electro-magnetic fields at the property Altenweger , Obernhof
has been establish by measurements

b) Since the end of the year 1995 massed occurences of loss and behavioural anomalies afflicted the dairy herd Altenweger that are significant and also relevant under the Animal Protection Act.

c) A definitve cause for these occurences at the farm operation Altenweger could not be established despite the conducted research.

The diagnosis by Prof.Dr.Klee of a stomach problem [rezidivierende Pausenazidose] is to be seen as a continuous problem. This is ,however, not caused by a feeding or maintanance problem as our investigation and calculations showed. The autopsy of the deceased animal as well as the observed disturbed feeding habits point to a possible problem with digestion and related endocrinological anomalies.
The relocation to another stable of the two animals showed , that the observed behaviour changes ( trampling and "weaving'of the head) are not caused by hoof problems related to the assumed stomach disturbance. [Pausenazidose]

d) The relocation showed clearly that the affliction disappeared when the animals were moved and the symptoms returned when they were brought back. This appears to point to the electro-magnetic fields measured at the property Altenweger as the sole cause for the reported behavioral anomalies as well as the endocrinological disturbances in part with even deadly result.

An undisputable proof that the electro-magnetic field are the cause for the problem could only be obtained by a total permanent shut down of the transmitter for a minimum period of ten days.

e) Since the animals in the operation Altenweger are afflicted by severe pain, suffering and damages according to Paragraph 2 of the Animal Protection Act. a resolve must be found

signed

Dr. Schmid
Vet. OR.