news article Home on the table—our natural cuisine

"Animal welfare is just as important to us as daily interaction with the animals. This is how we ensure their health and well-being," says Robin Vogelbacher, owner of the Käppelehof farm.

At Käppelehof in Höchenschwand, the cattle are allowed to spend the whole summer grazing in the pasture as a herd. However, during the cold winter months, they are brought into the barn. To further improve animal welfare, a free-range barn is to be built next winter.

The free-range chickens are kept in mobile chicken coops, which are moved at regular intervals so that there is always fresh green grass available. In the morning, the flaps are opened and the chickens can peck and scratch around on the meadow as they please or retreat to the mobile chicken coop and lay their eggs. In the evening, they go back inside for their own protection. But even during the day, the chickens are not defenseless against wild animals such as foxes. Each chicken coop is "guarded" by two alpacas. If a fox approaches, the alpacas defend themselves by counterattacking, thus protecting not only themselves but also their "roommates," the chickens.

Käppelehof in Höchenschwand