Institute of

OF Organic Farming

Organic Pig Production

Consumers of organic produced pork expect that it is eco- and animal-friendly produced and of improved taste and flavour. The corresponding process and product qualities can only be met with the help of respective production systems in piglet production and in pig fattening. But there exists still a gap between expectations and reality. The research of the Thünen-Institute of Organic Farming wants to fill this gap.

Key areas of action relate to shortcomings in both process and product quality and, if both are combined appropriately, to the resulting unsatisfactory cost-effectiveness. A system approach to pig farming requires substantial research on its environmental impact and animal welfare. Broken down to the level of production processes, the focus is on questions in piglet production and pig fattening regarding the biological performance, animal health, losses, behaviour and emissions in sows, piglets and fattening pigs.

The aim of the work is to generate science-based knowledge that can be made available to the entire value chain up to the political level and used for the further development of the sector.

Organic Piglet Production

In organic piglet production, considerable optimisation work remains to be done concerning process quality. Projects focus on keeping & feeding, animal welfare & behaviour, and performance of lactating sows, as well as suckling and rearing piglets.

Organic Pig Fattening

In organic pig fattening, considerable optimisation work remains to be done concerning process quality as well as product quality. Projects focus on the integration of growing-finishing pigs into the organic farming system in terms of choice of the genotype, diets of 100% organic origin and waiving of castration concerning performance, carcass & meat quality, health status, loss rates, and emissions.

Ongoing projects pig production

Feeding silage from early-cut red clover to fattening pigs

Forage legumes like red clover are an important part of organic crop rotations, but are rarely used as feed for pigs. This study sets out to determine the potential of ensiled red clover as feed for fattening pigs.

Peas, lupins and partners in field trials

Legumes are essential in the system of organic farming because of the nitrogen fixation and their function for the nutrient supply. They improve soil fertility, and provide a protein-rich feed stuff. In field trials with the focus of mixed cropping of grain legumes, especially the cultivation of blue lupins and peas we focused on yield optimisation and weed management. , We also evaluated the feed quality and their contribution to protein supply in organic animal husbandry.

Winter vetch as preceding crop to maize and as silage for pigs

The object of the project is to test different varieties of the downy vetch (Vicia villosa), the Pannonian vetch (Vicia pannonica) and the Narbonne vetch (Vicia narbonensis) for their suitability for winter intercrop cultivation in Northern Germany, their preceding crop effect on maize and their suitability as high-protein, riboflavin-supplying feed for fattening pigs.

Finished projects

Alternatives to castration

The acceptance of piglet castration is declining. Therefore, boar fattening could be an alternative. But the problems of boar taint are still not finally resolved.

Animal Health in Organic Farming - Publications between 1991 and 2011

The aim of the study is to describe the status quo and to identify further research regarding animal health in organic husbandry by literature study.

Animal welfare competence

Development of an individual animal welfare-oriented competence to ensure animal well-being– Concepts of teaching and learning in vocational education and training – Up to now, animal welfare has only been a minor topic in agricultural vocational education. New and innovative concepts of teaching and learning are therefore to be developed, in order to promote a comprehensive animal welfare-oriented competence.

Castration of piglets

Castration without anaesthesia shall be banned in 2018. But the currently approved anaesthetics for pigs are probably suboptimal under organic housing conditions.

Compensatory growth

For lack of organic feed with a high quality amino acid pattern (protein gap), there is the danger of impaired value creation in organic pig fattening due to low body protein but high body fat synthesis of organic fattening pigs. Against that background the objective of our study was to investigate whether a moderate oversupply of lysine in the final fattening period after a marginal lysine supply in the initial feeding period will result in compensatory protein growth.

CORYNE Methionin production

100% organic feeding is a social and political goal. An important obstacle is the shortage of feedstuffs with high quality amino acid pattern.

Duroc percentages

The use of portions of Duroc in fattening pigs is often recommended in organic pork production. It is the aim to investigate the effect of varying percentages of the genotype Duroc in organic fattening pigs on performance, carcass and meat quality.

Genotype-Environment-Interaction in organic pig fattening

A main factor for profiling poor developed organic pork production is the choice of the right genotype. Therefore modern and old breeds are tested for genotype-environment-interaction concerning various criteria of performance, carcass, meat and fat quality.

Group suckling

The above mentioned project is part of a 5 parts joint project (06oe266) which focuses on nutrition, keeping, desinfection and temperature control in the organic piglet production.

Intake of grass-clover when sows are kept on pasture

Roughage like ensiled or fresh grass-clover is offered to gestating sows to improve their health and offer employment. We document the amounts of fresh grass-clover that sows consume on pasture to enable an inclusion of energy from grass-clover in diet formulation.

Lameness in breeding sows

Sows in conventional husbandry often suffer from diseases in their locomotor systems, leg injuries and lameness. What is the situation on organic farms where pigs have outdoor runs? What risk factors have the most influence here?

Maize and beans in mixed cropping

In the future, the amount of on-farm or locally produced feedstuff should increase to ensure a sustainable protein supply for farm animals. In our project we analyze the potential of the mixed cropping of maize with runner or scarlet runner beans.

More iron for healthier piglets

The iron demand of suckling piglets cannot be met from sows´ milk alone, but relies on iron uptake from the environment (e.g. rooting). Because that´s not possible under modern housing conditions, iron must be supplemented.

Organic farming 2002 in Germany

Organic farms are marked by extraordinary diversity. This diversity is caused, among other things, by locational factors; the outset situation at the time of conversion; the farm's own course of development in the process from conversion to the establishment of organic farming; the production guidelines from organic farmers organizations; the socio-economic framework conditions, and the abilities, expectations and preferences of the farm manager.

Organic farming 2002 in Germany

Piglet feeding strategies

Organic agriculture is characterised as a low external input system, minimising the use of non farm-own resources. Hence, livestock's nutrient supply should be of predominantly farm-own production and of complete organic origin.

Piglet nest

Organic pig husbandry aims at a high animal welfare standard, part of which is a low level of piglet losses. Ensuring that piglets are kept warm after farrowing, and protecting them against being crushed by the sow are measures to improve piglet survival. Both warmth and protection can be achieved by a well designed and frequently used piglet nest.

Prolonged suckling period

Small grain legumes in organic feeds for pigs and poultry

The use of early harvested alfalfa and red clover (small grain legumes) as valuable feedstuff for pigs and poultry is studied. Both legumes are processed either to whole crop silage or to dried leaf mass.

Treated common vetch seeds for monogastrics

The protein-rich seeds of common vetches contain valuable nutrients, but also anti-nutritive factors, to which especially chicken and pigs are sensitive to. In this project, we examine if the treatments germination and ensiling, respectively, can reduce these negative effects.

XXL-pigs

The above mentioned project is part of a 5 parts joint project (06oe266) which focuses on nutrition, keeping, desinfection and temperature control in the organic piglet production.

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Institute of

OF Organic Farming

Organic Pig Production

Organic Piglet Production

Organic Pig Fattening

Ongoing projects pig production

Feeding silage from early-cut red clover to fattening pigs

Peas, lupins and partners in field trials

Winter vetch as preceding crop to maize and as silage for pigs

Finished projects

Alternatives to castration

Animal Health in Organic Farming - Publications between 1991 and 2011

Animal welfare competence

Castration of piglets

Compensatory growth

CORYNE Methionin production

Duroc percentages

Genotype-Environment-Interaction in organic pig fattening

Group suckling

Intake of grass-clover when sows are kept on pasture

Lameness in breeding sows

Maize and beans in mixed cropping

More iron for healthier piglets

Organic farming 2002 in Germany

Organic farming 2002 in Germany

Piglet feeding strategies

Piglet nest

Prolonged suckling period

Small grain legumes in organic feeds for pigs and poultry

Treated common vetch seeds for monogastrics

XXL-pigs

Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute

Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries