RESSOURCEEFFEKTIV ØKOLOGISK SVINEPRODUKTION

Transcription

1 PECOSYSTEM RESSOURCEEFFEKTIV ØKOLOGISK SVINEPRODUKTION Anne Grete Kongsted og John E Hermansen, Agroøkologi, Aarhus Universitet IMPROVED SUSTAINABILITY IN ORGANIC PIG PRODUCTION AG Kongsted, JE Hermansen and M. Jakobsen Dept. Agroecology, Aarhus University

2 INCREASING INTEREST IN ORGANIC PORK, LOCAL AND GLOBAL Retail sale of organic pork in Denmark, t % increase in export of organic pork Main export countries: France Germany

3 ORGANIC PIG PRODUCTION IN DENMARK Pregnant sows Outdoor summer and winter (indoor from weaning to mating) Dynamic or stable groups Ring in the snout Roughage (winter) 3

4 ORGANIC PIG PRODUCTION IN DENMARK Farrowing and lactating sows Outdoor summer and winter Individual paddocks Piglets weaned at seven weeks of age Piglets castrated within the first week after birth 4

5 ORGANIC PIG PRODUCTION IN DENMARK Growing-finishing pigs Reared in stables with outdoor runs Access to roughage Slaughtered at kg live weight 5 Photo: Marie L. Buus

6 THE GOOD STORY Positive aspects of organic pork production (compared to conventional) Animals being able to express more of their species-specific behaviour Markedly lower use of antibiotics Organic producers are paid three times as much per kg of pork (represents a significant value increment in the Danish pig production) Plays a central role in the success story of Danish organic exports 6

7 CHALLENGES ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINTS Environmental impacts - compared to conventional production Requires 30 % more land Lower crop yields Poorer feed conversion (the animals require more energy for activity and thermoregulation) Comparable in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (global warming) % higher ammonium volatilization Hot spots/nitrate leaching Zink

8 CHALLENGES, ANIMAL WELFARE Free-range sows: Ring in snout, heat stress Piglet mortality Weaning diarrhea Growing-finishing pigs in stables with concrete covered runs

9 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, reduced environmental footprint and improved animal welfare? Combined production of freerange pigs and energy crops (agroforestry) Prolonged weaning age combined with lactational oestrus

10 INTEGRATED PRODUCTION OF PIGS AND ENERGY CROPS Overall idea Increased productivity Pork and energy produced on the same area Reduced nitrate leaching Higher uptake of nutrients (over a longer season) Uptake of nutrients independent of grass cover Reduced NH3 volatilization Leaves catch Lower wind speed Reduced solar radiation Improved animal welfare Shadow Shelter Enriched environment Eliminate the need for ringing Reduced piglet mortality(?) More growing-finishing pigs free-range(?)

11 WHAT DID WE LEARN SO FAR? Experiment with growing-finishing pigs

12 EXCRETORY BEHAVIOUR % of observations Willow: 65 % of all observations (27 % of total area) Spring Autumn Feeding area Willow1 Grass1 Cut Misc. Misc. Grass2 Willow2 Horsted et al., 2012

13 NITRATE LEACHING, ESTIMATE Small paddocks Large paddocks AU/ha Leaching kg N/hectare Previous studies pigs on pasture Kg N/hectare Sørensen et al., 2010

14 RESTING BEHAVIOUR In hot periods the pigs preferred zones with willow Resting behaviour of growing-finishing pigs Total < 5 C > 15 C Observations, n 7, Hut, % of obs Willow, % of obs Kongsted et al., 2011

15 COMING EXPERIMENT POPLAR IN LACTATION PADDOCKS Objective To quantify the expected positive effects on productivity, animal health and environment Measurements/registrations Nitrate leaching (suction cups) Excretory behaviour Sow and piglets use of zone with poplar Sow health Tree yield Crop damages See poster by Malene Jakobsen

16 COMING STUDY - ITALY Objective To test different types of tree-protection to prevent that the trees are destroyed by the pigs rooting behaviour in the first years after planting Photos: Valerio Bondesan

17 EU PROJECT - AGROFORESTRY Objectives of the project Agroforestry that will advance rural development (AGFORWARD) To quantify the expected positive effects of agroforestry But the main focus is to develop the production systems to ensure that implementation of agroforestry becomes economical attractive for farmers European Union s Seventh Framework Program for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no

18 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, reduced environmental footprint and improved animal welfare? Combined production of freerange pigs and energy crops (agroforestry) Prolonged weaning age combined with lactational oestrus

19 PROLONGED LACTATION COMBINED WITH LACTATIONAL OESTRUS Overall idea Improved animal welfare Pigs more robust at weaning Less weaning diarrhea Reduced mortality in growing period Increased productivity More litters produced per sow per year Fewer days from birth to slaughter Reduced environmental/climatic impact No need for high doses of Zink More roughage and less concentrate Farrowing Oestrus/ conception Weaning

20 WHAT DID WE LEARN SO FAR? EFFECT OF WEANING AGE ON PIG PERFORMANCE PILOT STUDIES ON PRIVATE FARMS Farm 1 Farm 2 Weaning age 8 weeks 11 weeks weeks Weight at weaning, kg Daily gain week 8-15, g

21 EFFECT ON REPRODUCTION EXPERIENCES FROM PRACTICE % of sows Pct. løbninger Sows grouped after farrowing Boar introduced d 35 in lactation 60 % became pregnant before weaning Weaning after 9 weeks 10 0 < >20 Dage fra fravænning til 1. løbning Days from weaning to conception Kongsted & Hermansen, 2005

22 DAYS FROM BOAR CONTACT TO OESTRUS EXPERIMENTAL STUDY: On average 7 days from first boar contact to oestrus. All sows showed lactational oestrus (on average 44 d after farrowing), 85 % diagnosed pregnant 5 w after oestrus. Sows grouped d 35 in lactation Boar introduced the day after Piglets weaned at 8 weeks Days from first boar contact to oestrus Kongsted & Hermansen, 2009

23 ON-GOING STUDY IN A COMMERCIAL HERD Objective To investigate the effect of 10 weeks lactation combined with lactational oestrus (boar contact d 30-35) on litter performance, sow reproduction and animal health Measurements/registrations Sow reproduction Sow behaviour (oestrus) Sow health and body condition at weaning Piglet health and performance after weaning

24 THANK YOU!