The occurrence of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in animal housing is a hidden environmental stress factor arising from the electrical equipment and infrastructure used in modern production systems. In particular, automatic feeding systems, milking machines, ventilation fans, lighting installations, and high-voltage lines in intensive goat, cattle, and sheep farms lead to the formation of electric and magnetic fields.
Since electromagnetic fields can induce electric currents and fields within the tissues of exposed organisms, EMF is considered a potential hazard to human and animal health. This situation has led to an increasing number of studies investigating the biological effects of electromagnetic fields.
This study aimed to determine the electromagnetic field (EMF) levels in an intensive dairy goat farm and to evaluate the possible effects of the fields to which the animals were exposed on milk and meat production as well as on animal health. Measurements were carried out at 11 locations representing different functional areas of the farm, with three replications at each point. The magnetic field intensity was found to range from 1.05 to 28.00 µT.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed statistically significant differences among the locations (p < 0.05); the difference was particularly concentrated at locations 6, 8, 9, and 11, where high-current lines and motor equipment were present. The overall mean value was 10.11 µT, and it was determined that in some locations this value exceeded the recommended threshold of 1–10 µT proposed by ICNIRP (2010).
The results indicated that the electromagnetic field in intensive goat farms is not homogeneously distributed and that field accumulation occurs especially around the milking system and control units. This highlights the importance of regular monitoring of electromagnetic fields in terms of both animal welfare and production safety.