Research to toilet train cows aims for positive environmental impact

University of Auckland-affiliated researchers have successfully demonstrated that cows can be toilet trained. It’s no joke. Lindsay Matthews and Douglas Elliffe’s research with German colleagues could help reduce water contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. [...] In 2015, Matthews was working with Professor Lars Schrader at the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health in Germany when Schrader suggested toilet training to deal with ammonia emissions, which result from contact between faeces and urine. Previous international attempts to toilet train cows had seen little success, but Matthews thought that with his deep expertise, he might be able to do better. He brought in Elliffe, who has complementary skills in behavioural analysis, to help.