Transcript European organic livestock farming

Animal Nutrition in Organic Farming
Ragnar Leming
Estonian University of Life Sciences,
Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences
Outline of presentation
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Organic livestock production in Estonia
Principles of organic farming
Characteristics of organic livestock production
Feeds and feeding organic pigs
Organic Livestock in Estonia 2008
40000
36%
33860
35000
30000
25000
20000
7%
18205
15000
3%
10000
2880
5000
0.3%
34%
1780
253
Horses
Pigs
0
Cattle
Dairy Cattle Sheep and
Goats
0.1%
Source: Taimetoodangu Inspektsioon; ESA, PM põllumajandusturu korraldamise osakond
4410
Poultry
Characteristics of Organic Livestock
Production in Estonia
• More than 60% of organic farms are livestock farms
• Grassland-based animals are most common (cattle,
sheep, horses)
• Pigs and poultry are mainly kept for own consumption
• Problems areas in organic livestock:
– Old tethering housing systems
– Lack of knowledge and advise in animal health issues
– Lack of processing facilities inhibits further
development
– Subsidy oriented farmers
Organic World
Characteristics of Organic Livestock
Production in EU
• More than 50%? of organic farms are livestock farms
• Grassland-based animals are most common (cattle,
sheep)
• Diversity of European livestock farming systems
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Climate and land quality
Intensive / extensive animal husbandry
Different types of herds (mixed / specialised, sizes etc.)
Different levels of organisation (food chains /marketing)
Different consumer preferences
Huge variation in product and process quality
Characteristics of organic livestock
production
Features of EU Regulation on organic
livestock production
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Feed: ’natural’ & species-specific
Preventative health strategies
Minimise veterinary drug inputs
Access to range
Housing: loose housing, bedding,
minimum space allocation
• Later weaning
Features of EU Regulation on organic
livestock production
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Feed: ’natural’ & species-specific
Preventative health strategies
Minimise veterinary drug inputs
1991R2092 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 018.002 — 29
Access to range
Housing: loose housing, bedding,
minimum space allocation
• Later weaning
5. Disease prevention and veterinary treatment
5.1. Disease prevention in organic livestock production shall be
based on
the following principles:
(a) the selection of appropriate breeds or strains of animals as
detailed in Section 3;
(b) the application of animal husbandry practices appropriate to the
requirements of each species, encouraging strong resistance to
disease and the prevention of infections;
(c) the use of high quality feed, together, with regular exercise and
access to pasturage, having the effect of encouraging the natural
immunological defence of the animal;
(d) ensuring an appropriate density of livestock, thus avoiding
overstocking
Features of EU Regulation on organic
livestock production
•
•
•
•
•
Feed: ’natural’ & species-specific
Preventative health strategies
Minimise veterinary drug inputs
Access to range
Housing: loose housing, bedding,
minimum space allocation
• Later weaning
Features of EU Regulation on organic
livestock production
•
•
•
•
•
Feed: ’natural’ & species-specific
Preventative health strategies
Minimise veterinary drug inputs
Access to range
Housing: loose housing, bedding,
minimum space allocation
• Later weaning
Features of EU Regulation on organic
livestock production
•
•
•
•
•
Feed: ’natural’ & species-specific
Preventative health strategies
Minimise veterinary drug inputs
Access to range
Housing: loose housing, bedding,
minimum space allocation
• Later weaning
“To fully understand how to raise pigs
organically, we first need to understand how
pigs behave in a natural environment”
How pigs behave?:
A COMMON PUBLIC OPINION
• The one who
misbehaves is a pig!
• The one who pollutes
environment is a pig!
(Umweltschwein!)
• Etc...
How do they really behave?
• Pigs are very social animals
– In the natural environment pigs spend ca 70% of
the time to rooting/oral and social behaviour
How do they really behave?
• Pigs are intelligent animals
– Humans, primates, dolphins, pigs, …
How do they really behave?
• Pigs are very social animals
– Social status: matriarchy
– Average size of the herd ca 20-50 animals
(sows with offspring)
– Territory 10-20 km2
– Mating time usually Nov-Dec, piglets being
born in March-April (pregnancy 18-20 weeks)
How do they really behave?
– Sow leaves the herd in
late pregnancy and starts
to build the nest
– Weaning time at 3-4
months
How do they really behave?
– Pigs are clean animals
– Pigs don’t have sweating
glands and therefore may
suffer in hyperthermia or
sunburn
– Pigs like ‘mud treatment’
How do they really behave?
– Pigs are omnivores and it should be taken word for word
Feeding
• nutrition should be based on home-grown
feeds
• 0% conventional feed for herbivores (cattle,
sheep etc) for other species (pigs, poltry) :
– max 10 % until 31. Dec. 2009
– max 5 % until 31. Dec. 2011
• max 25% a daily consumption of DM
• GMO feeds are forbidden
Feeding
• Diets for pigs and poultry must contain
forages
• Forbidden in the feed are:
antibiotics
drugs
growth promoters
syntetic amino acids
The growth is dependent on...
 Genetic (growth potential)
 Feed and feeding
 Environment (keeping and housing)
These are the main inputs that affect pig’s
welfare and health and therefore also the
productivity and performance
Genetics – modern trends
Allikas: Jõudluskontrolli Keskus, Aastaraamat 2005
Principles for diet formulation
• Is based on the nutrient requirements
– Depends on sex, age, growth, physiological stage etc.
• Nutrient composition of the diet (analysis, tables)
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Metabolizable energy, MJ
Protein and amino acids (Lysine, S-am. acids etc)
Minerals (Ca, P)
Vitamins
• Is balanced (requirements = nutrients in the diet)
Requirements for single animal
Growth
Growth maximum
Nutrient(s)
Growth
Requirements for whole herd
Herd
average
Nutrient(s)
Lysine and growth
50-90 kg
1000
9,3
Daily gain (g/day)
950
900
8,3
850
800
7,3
750
700
5
6
7
8
9
10
Lysine (g/kg)
boars
barrows
gilts
11
12
13
Lysine and feed conversion
feed conversion kg
50-90 kg
3,5
3,4
3,3
3,2
3,1
3
2,9
2,8
2,7
2,6
2,5
5,5
6,5
7,5
8,5
9,5
10,5
Lysine (g/kg)
boars
barrows
gilts
11,5
12,5
Feeding
Feeds:
Cereals
Protein feeds
Roughage and forage
Mineral feeds
Energy feeds
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Barley
Wheat
Oats
Rye
Triticale
Protein feeds
• Peas
• Rape seed
Rape seed cake
• Other:
Vetch
Lupine
Grass meal
(Lucerne, clover etc)
Production of the cake
Storage
Cleaning
Flaking
Cooking
Pressing
Cake
Oil
Figure. Production of cold-pressed rapeseed cake
Potentsial protein feeds
Feeds
DM, %
Protein,
Fat,
Fibre,
Ca,
P,
g/DM
g/DM
g/DM
g/DM
g/DM
Peas
90,5
242,6
8,4
51,1
0,92
4,96
Peas
90,5
268,8
7,2
48,2
1,13
4,45
Vetch
90,5
343,4
6,1
36,5
1,90
4,70
Beans
90,9
314,0
10,6
73,8
1,69
5,60
Yellow lupine
91,3
459,4
49,8
117,8
2,55
6,82
Rape seed
93,1
202,3
436,6
93,2
5,38
8,83
Feeding outdoors
Forages for Pigs
• Due to high fiber content and low energy
density, forages have only limited use for
young pigs and lactating sows.
• Forages are best utilized at an early stage of
maturity.
• Pigs absorb more nutrients from forages after
an adaptation period of at least two months.
Forages for Pigs
• When pastures are the forage source,
pasture rotation should be used to prevent
heavy parasite and bacterial contamination of
pigs.
• Forages can be heavily damaged by grazing
swine, especially with rooting in the spring
and fall.
• Reduced stocking density will protect
pastures and support greater persistence.
Forages for Pigs
• Ringing of sow snouts can reduce damage,
but ringing may be considered mutilation and
may not be allowed under some market
certification standards.
• Hogs on pasture may grow slower and
require more feed per unit of gain due to
high fibre intake and increased exercise
compared with confinement-raised pigs.