Insurance for livestock farmers: dairy, pigs and poultry in Germany
One disease outbreak on a neighbouring farm is enough to put yours inside a restricted zone: piglets cannot leave, milk cannot be sold, and the costs keep running. Add barn fires, failed ventilation and cattle standing on the road at night. This page shows what livestock farmers in Germany should insure and what the Tierseuchenkasse, the state animal disease fund, does not pay.
The animal disease fund pays anyway, so why do I need insurance?
For notifiable diseases the Tierseuchenkasse essentially compensates the value of the animals that have to be culled. It does not pay the loss of income afterwards: empty barns, marketing bans in the restricted zone, feed and loans that keep running. Only loss of income insurance (Ertragsschadenversicherung) covers that, with many providers for up to 24 months. Since African swine fever and bluetongue, this has become decisive for many farms.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Disease in the barn or nearby
African swine fever, avian influenza, bluetongue: culling, restricted zones and marketing bans also hit farms without a case of their own.
02
Barn fire
Wiring, heat lamps and hay stores are the most common causes of fire. Barn fires cost animals, buildings and often years.
03
Equipment fails
If the ventilation in a pig barn stops for an hour in summer, animals suffocate. Milking robots and feeding systems are critical too.
04
Animals on the road
One broken pasture fence, and cattle or horses are standing on the county road at night. Accidents with injuries follow.
05
Slurry and silage
A leaking slurry tank or silage effluent in the stream kills fish and causes costly environmental damage.
06
Working with animals
Kicks, crushing and falls in the barn are among the most frequent accidents in farming.
As loss of income insurance it pays for losses after animal disease, restricted zones and equipment failure that the animal disease fund does not carry.
Adds to the limited benefits of the SVLFG for you and family members working on the farm.
What it costs: example prices
In livestock farming, premiums depend on species, herd size, barn construction and equipment. For disease and loss of income, insurers calculate per animal place or on the basis of the contribution margin.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Dairy farm with 80 cows and grazing
around €300 to €900 a year
Business interruption
Loss of income after animal disease and equipment failure, pig fattening with 1,500 places
around €1,500 to €4,500 a year
Commercial buildings
Barns and sheds with a new value of €1.5 million
around €2,500 to €6,000 a year
Business contents
Livestock and feed worth €400,000 against fire and storm
around €600 to €1,800 a year
Electronic equipment
Two milking robots and ventilation controls with a new value of €350,000
around €1,800 to €4,500 a year
For comparison: Liability and loss of income insurance for a pig fattening farm cost roughly as much a year as the proceeds from 15 to 25 finished pigs.
Guide figures excluding German insurance tax, as of September 2026, from our own quoting.
On top comes the compulsory contribution to the animal disease fund;
in Lower Saxony in 2026 around €9.40 per head of cattle, €1.00 per pig and €4.00 per sheep.
Six things that really happen to livestock farmers, put together on one hot day in August. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€444,000
Three cattle have got through the damaged pasture fence onto the county road. A car hits one of them.
€16,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Lightning overnight has destroyed the milking robot's controls. Milking by hand, repair and technician.
€24,000 · Paid by: Electronic equipment
Because of swine fever in wild boar, the veterinary office sets up a restricted zone. Your fattening pigs cannot be sold for two months.
€85,000 · Paid by: Business interruption
The ventilation in the fattening barn fails at 34 degrees and the alarm comes too late. 90 pigs die.
€21,000 · Paid by: Business interruption
Slurry runs from a crack in the slurry tank into the ditch and on into the stream.
€38,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Spontaneous combustion in the hay store. Barn and feed stocks burn down.
€260,000 · Paid by: Commercial buildings
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €444,000
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Take out loss of income insurance that also covers restricted zones and marketing bans without a disease case on your own farm.
Check that equipment failure is included: ventilation, feeding and milking technology are only covered as an add-on in many policies.
Report your herd correctly to the animal disease fund every year; wrong reports put compensation at risk.
Have water pollution from slurry, silage and diesel expressly included in your farm liability.
Measure hay moisture and keep records; spontaneous combustion is one of the most common causes of fire.
Insure barns at index linked new value, because the cost of building new barns has risen sharply.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We explain what the animal disease fund does not pay
The gap between the value of the animals and the loss of income is large. As a broker we compare loss of income policies from several providers and their terms on restricted zones.
We handle claims ourselves
In boat insurance we are an underwriting agency and handle claims ourselves. We know how loss adjusters calculate contribution margins and what matters when you report a loss.
Farm, family and provision
We look after the business, farmhouse, vehicles, accident cover and pensions with one contact who can explain German rules in English.
A family business since 1989
We know what a family business means. Our work costs you nothing; the insurer pays our commission.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
What does the animal disease fund pay?
For notifiable diseases it essentially compensates the value of culled animals and contributes to
the cost of control.
It does not pay the loss of income afterwards.
What does loss of income insurance cost?
That depends on species, herd and indemnity period.
In our experience, for a pig fattening farm with 1,500 places it is usually between €1,500 and
€4,500 a year.
Am I covered if I am in a restricted zone but have no disease case?
Only if the loss of income insurance expressly includes restricted zones.
Look closely at this clause.
Who is liable if cows cause an accident on the road?
You, as the keeper.
Farm liability pays if keeper's liability for livestock is included.
Are animals in the barn insured against fire?
Yes, if livestock is listed in your contents or farm inventory insurance.
Death from illness is not covered there.
What is the contribution to the animal disease fund?
It differs by federal state.
In Lower Saxony in 2026 it is €9.40 per head of cattle, €1.00 per pig and €4.00 per sheep or goat.
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