Working group Animal nutrition

There are major differences between conventional and organic animal nutrition, which aims to achieve a regional and organic feed production. In organic farming, it is prohibited to use some feeds and feed additives commonly used in the conventional production. These include extraction meals, for the production of which solvents are used, or synthetic amino acids. In addition, minimum quantities of roughage and grazing are required for ruminants. Roughage is also mandatory for pigs and poultry.

Organic animal nutrition aims to achieve satisfactory performance from healthy animals in an animal-friendly husbandry environment. To this end, feeding strategies are needed that meet both the constraints of organic livestock production and the physiological needs of the animals.

Working group Animal nutrition

Dr. Stephanie Witten

Phone: +49 4539 8880 325
Phone: +49 531 2570 2076

Projects

sLowFeedChickIns

The main objective of the project is to sustainably improve the performance of organic husbandry systems for dual-purpose chickens under the aspects of resource-efficient raw material procurement, optimization of feeding and animal welfare.

Further development of cultivation, processing and utilisation of protein crops

Protein crops, especially legumes, play a crucial role in overcoming current challenges such as the climate crisis, feeding the world's growing population, species loss and the resulting need to transform agricultural and food systems towards greater sustainability and resilience.

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.

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.

Evaluation of organic feedstuffs

Organic farmers should feed the animals with 100 % organic produced feedstuffs in the near future. Not only ruminants, but also monogastric animals – poultry and swine – must be feed with protein from domestic feedstuffs to meet requirements.