European organic pig producers face common challenges related to animal welfare, nutrient losses and system resilience, which were addressed in close cooperation with producers throughout Europe.
We evaluated strategies to reduce piglet mortality and improve piglet health. Enlarged farrowing pens improved nest building behaviour, and confinement of piglets in the nest increased nest use. Iron supplementation was only required for indoor piglets. Supplying sows and piglets with microorganisms through fermented products was promising to modulate gut microbiota. Later weaning improved health, and extending lactations to ten weeks caused good piglet health and very high growth rates. Separation of sows and litter overnight allowed a lactational oestrus, useful in farms opting for extended lactation.
Pigs choose functional areas for different behaviour, minimising the surface soiled with excreta. This is advantageous for hygiene and animal welfare and reducing ammonia emissions which increase, when faeces and urine mix. Three innovations (rooting areas, roughage, showers) to stimulate the use of functional areas were tested successfully on-farm. However, the variation was considerable and removal of excrements in the outdoor area remains essential.
Combining indoor- and pasture access allows the organic pig producer to tailor their system to local climatic conditions, farm and soil structure while allowing a wide range of species-specific behaviour. To promote further development of this system, 18 farms were evaluated regarding animal welfare, environmental performance, labour and costs, and summarised in fact sheets.
Based on interviews, the resilience capacity (e.g. price shocks, disease outbreaks, climate change) and attributes were analysed. The perceived risks were associated with a low feed self-sufficiency among all-year outdoor producers and producers that were unable to accumulate sufficient reserves. Farms with direct marketing and a large diversification were labour intensive and required the ability to pay decent wages. In general, the producers’ attitude, meaning making and social capital played an important role. Different resilient strategies call for different policies for different types of producers.
Diversity in organic pig system design and practice calls for diversity in research questions and methodology, marketing strategies and policies to further support a variety of resilient organic pig systems with high level of animal welfare. |