Skip to main content
Expertise

Organic pig farming

Ralf Bussemas and Lisa Baldinger | 01.06.2022


OL Institute of Organic Farming

Similar to conventional farming, organic pig farming is based on a specialisation on certain branches. Most farms specialise in piglet production or pig fattening. The "closed system", in which piglet production and fattening take place on the same farm, is less common.

The piglets that the sow has given birth to are thus raised by the piglet producer up to a weight of around 27 kg. They are then sold to fattening farms, where they are fattened up to a final weight of around 120 kg and then slaughtered.

While the differences between organic and conventional pig farming are rather gradual in terms of breeds, there are very marked differences in stocking rate, animal husbandry, feeding and disease treatment, which are briefly outlined below. Whether the requirements of organic farming are met is checked within the framework of certification by means of farm inspections that take place at least once a year. Sanctions can be imposed for non-compliance.

 

The sows are mostly cross-bred animals from the breeds "Deutsches Landschwein" and "Deutsches Edelschwein". Depending on the marketing objective, the breeds "Piétrain" or, more rarely, "Duroc" are predominantly used for the final stage boars.

While conventional piglet production is very uniform, organic piglet production is characterised by a variety of individual farm solutions in the choice, origin and combination of breeds. The use of so-called old breeds such as "Angler Saddle Pig", "Bunte Bentheimer Pig" or "Schwäbisch-Hällisches Pig" is not a question of organic or conventional farming, but depends on the demands that marketers and processors place on carcass quality. The choice of breeds may therefore have an influence on marketing opportunities.

The quality of the meat - especially sensory characteristics such as tenderness, juiciness and aroma - plays little role in the price the fattener can fetch. Either the payment is based on a fixed price per pig or according to certain criteria, the so-called price mask, which is based, for example, on the lean meat content of the carcass.

The minimum space allowance is shown in the following table using the example of lactating sows, piglets and fattening pigs. Because of these space requirements organically kept pigs have significantly more space than conventionally kept pigs. (Table)

 

 Stable (m2 per animal)Adjacent run (m2 per animal)
Nursing sow (incl. piglets up to 40 days)7,5     2,5    
Piglets older than 40 days and weighing max. 30 kg0,60,4
Fattening pigs up to 50 kg live weight0,80,6
Fattening pigs up to 85 kg live weight1,10,8
Fattening pigs up to 110 kg live weight1,31,0
Fattening pigs above 110 kg live weight1,51,2

All farm animals and thus also pigs may only be fed with organically produced feed.

In contrast to conventional farming, organically reared pigs must be offered roughage or basic feed in addition to concentrated feed. Very often straw is provided in separate pens. The best choice is clover grass in the form of silage, which accumulates in the crop rotation.

When feeding concentrate feed, all ration components such as cereals, grain legumes or their processed products must be of organic origin. The biggest problem here is the so-called protein gap (protein gap). This means the lack of ration components of organic origin with sufficient essential amino acids. These so-called first and second limiting amino acids (above all lysine and methionine) are essential building blocks for healthy metabolic processes and the body's own protein build-up.

A corresponding deficiency in piglet rearing can lead to growth depression and susceptibility to disease, even death. In fattening pigs, on the other hand, only the body's own protein synthesis is reduced, resulting in somewhat fatter pigs. Thus, the lean meat content in conventional fattening ranges approximately between 58 and 60 %, whereas under organic conditions usually around 54 to 56 % is achieved.

To bridge the protein gap, organic farms are currently allowed a maximum of 5 % protein feed of non-organic origin in the feed ration for piglets up to 35 kg until the end of 2025, based on a temporary derogation; this is usually potato protein.

In principle, there is a duty to treat sick animals effectively and immediately. While e.g. vaccinations and deworming are fully permitted, the use of antibiotics for curative purposes is subject to very strict regulations.

For animals over one year of age, antibiotic treatment may be administered a maximum of three times per year. For animals less than one year old, antibiotic treatment may be given for no more than one disease. If this minimum number has to be exceeded for treatment reasons, the animals concerned lose their organic status.

In the interest of animal welfare, routine manipulations such as grinding the teeth of suckling piglets to protect the sow's teats and docking tails as a preventive measure against tail biting are generally prohibited in organic animal husbandry. Only in individual cases may such measures be carried out after individual veterinary indication and approval by the inspection body.

At this point, we would like to take a look at an example of a breeding aspect: In case of shortages in the supply of organically reared gilts, the EU Organic Farming Regulation currently still allows the purchase of animals of conventional origin. However, these must not weigh more than 35 kg. This regulation will, however, expire.

Although there are practical recommendations for piglet producers to organise their own breeding of gilts, this method has the disadvantage that only half of the breeding progress can be used. This is because, when mating a mother sow selected on the farmer's own piglet farm, this only comes via (the semen of) the sire's side. Therefore, as an additional option, organically managed gilts multipliers should be integrated into commercial breeding companies. Gilts raised there combine in themselves the full parental breeding progress from the mother's and father's side of the organisationally upstream breeding stage.

Until such a system has become established, the retention of the derogation for the purchase of animals makes sense from a breeding point of view. Nevertheless, it must be backed up with a clear exit scenario in terms of time, as otherwise a decisive incentive to organise special organic gilts reproduction is missing.

Projekte

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.

More
Peas, lupins and partners in field trials

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.

More
Feeding silage from early-cut red clover to fattening pigs

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.

More
Animal welfare competence

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.

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

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
Maize and beans in mixed cropping

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?

More
Lameness in breeding sows

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.

More
Alternatives to castration

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.

More
Piglet feeding strategies

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.

More
Castration of piglets

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.

More
Animal Health in Organic Farming - Publications between 1991 and 2011

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.

More
Group suckling

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.

More
Genotype-Environment-Interaction in organic pig fattening

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.

More
Compensatory growth

Prolonged suckling period

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.

More
Prolonged suckling period

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.

More
Duroc percentages

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.

More
CORYNE Methionin production

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.

More
Treated common vetch seeds for monogastrics

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.

More
XXL-pigs

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.

More
Piglet nest

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.

More
Small grain legumes in organic feeds for pigs and poultry

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.

More
Organic farming 2002 in Germany

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.

More
More iron for healthier piglets

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.

More
Intake of grass-clover when sows are kept on pasture

Scroll to top