Nutrition and Feeding of Organic Pigs

Robert Blair

• Publisher: CAB International
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781780647920
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Animal Husbandry
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Organic animal production has increased rapidly in recent years to keep up with the increasing consumer demand for organic meats. There are many guidelines and restrictions on what should go into the feedstuffs of organically farmed animals, from which difficulties arise when trying to ensure a well-balanced, nutritious diet without the use of any supplements. This second edition of Robert Blair's classic and bestselling book on the nutrition and feeding of organic pigs presents comprehensive advice that includes: - formulating appropriate diets and integrating them into organic pig production systems;- international standards of organic feeding;- feed-related disease incidence in organic herds.The book has been completely updated and revised to address how to formulate organic diets in situations where there is a declining supply of organic feed, as well as the feasibility of utilizing novel feedstuffs and their acceptability by consumers of organic meat products. Including the experiences of producers in relation to appropriate breeds and production systems for forage-based organic production, this book is an important read for researchers and students of organic food animal production, veterinary sciences and food; as well as food industry personnel and organic farmers.

1
Introduction and Background

In recent years there has been a rapid increase in organic animal production in many countries. This development is a response to an increased consumer demand for food that is perceived to be fresh, wholesome and flavoursome, free of hormones, antibiotics and harmful chemicals and produced in a way that is sustainable environmentally and without the use of gene-modified (GM) crops.

This publication sets out guidance on nutrition and feeding practices that relate to the standards for certification of organic pigs and the production of organic pork. Details on permitted feed ingredients, with an emphasis on those grown or available locally, and on suitable dietary formulations are included.

Organic farming can be defined as an approach to agriculture in which the aim is to create integrated, humane, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production systems. Thus maximum reliance is placed on locally or farm-derived renewable resources. In many European countries, organic agriculture is known as ecological agriculture, reflecting this emphasis on ecosystems management. The term for organic production and products differs within the European Union (EU). In English the term is ‘organic’; in Danish, Swedish and Spanish it is ‘ecological’; in German it is ‘ecological’ or ‘biological’; and in French, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese it is ‘biological’ (European Commission (1999): Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91). In Australia the term used is ‘organic’, ‘bio-dynamic’ or ‘ecological’.

It is clear that the idealism set out initially in the principles of organic agriculture has had to be tempered by practical considerations. The standards adopted have to aim for a balance between the desire of consumers for organic products and considerations of ethical and ecological integrity, and the practical and financial needs of producers. As a result, synthetic vitamins are now allowed in organic pig feeds, with some restrictions.

An example whereby the regulations may have to be further modified is the situation regarding supplemental amino acids (AA). Some countries seek this change. At present pure AA are banned from organic diets in some countries on the grounds of being synthetic, or, if derived from microbial fermentation, are similarly banned because of the organisms used being GM. Lack of availability of pure AA for organic feed supplementation is known to result in diets of unbalanced protein composition, increased feed cost, inefficient protein utilization and a consequent increased nitrogen load on the environment. This effect is contrary to the aim of ecological integrity and is of considerable practical importance since organic agriculture relies exclusively on animal manure and other organic wastes as fertilizer. The effect on the cost of meat to the consumer has also to be considered. This book will assist producers in formulating diets without supplemental AA and will examine the justification for their banning.

Another effect of the current regulations is that some organic feed mixtures in use do not meet the standards that some authorities seek to achieve. Several of the regulations are open to interpretation, derogations have had to be introduced in a number of countries to cope with shortages of organic feedstuffs, and synthetic vitamins have had to be allowed.

Forms of vitamins and minerals approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are allowed in organic diets in the USA even though they may not be considered natural substances or appear on the national list of Synthetic Substances Allowed for Use in Organic Production.

The standards and rules laid down to accomplish organic production place several restrictions on diets and feeding. These are detailed in the next chapter. A main aim of this book is to present advice on how the appropriate diets can be formulated and how feeding programmes can be integrated into an organic production system.

In general, the feed for use in organic pig production can contain ingredients from three categories only:

1.  Agricultural products that have been produced and handled organically, preferably from the farm itself.

2.  Non-synthetic substances such as enzymes, probiotics and others considered to be natural ingredients.

3.  Synthetic substances that have been approved for use in organic pig production.

In addition, the diet is intended to ensure quality production of the animals rather than maximizing production, while meeting the nutritional requirements of the livestock at various stages of their development. The feeding of young mammals must be based on natural milk; consequently, the nursing period for pigs is set at a minimum of 6 weeks. Roughage, fresh or dried fodder, or silage must be added to the daily ration of pigs. In some jurisdictions this requirement is extended in order that the animals be allowed access to pasture. Generally the vitamins approved for dietary supplementation should be derived from feedstuffs or, if synthetic, identical to natural vitamins. However, natural sources such as sprouted grains and brewer’s yeast may be preferred by some certifying agencies. A strict interpretation of the regulations to require synthetic vitamins to be identical in form to natural vitamins may appear to be logical, but from a practical standpoint poses problems in feed formulation. The natural forms of fat-soluble vitamins are unstable and lose potency very readily, and several of the natural forms of water-soluble vitamins are biologically unavailable to the animal. This issue will be discussed in more detail in a succeeding chapter.

Thus it would appear that at present the organic standards have been introduced before all of the scientific data required to make a successful change to sustainable and efficient organic production are available. Currently the relevant data have to be extrapolated from conventional pig production practices until all of the required data are available.

Jakobsen and Hermansen (2001) summarized the main problems and challenges posed by organic production on pigs in Denmark as follows:

1.  To establish the requirements and supply of energy, essential amino acids (EAA), vitamins and minerals under organic farming conditions, using the slow-growing breeds that are preferred over modern hybrids. The requirements for vitamins and minerals of pigs under organic farming conditions are not known.

2.  To develop feeding concepts in order to improve the resistance to infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

3.  To improve product quality and the economics of production. The quality of organically produced meat is of concern in Denmark, especially in relation to the fatness and the palatability of the meat.

A major challenge facing the organic pig industry is a shortage of organic feedstuffs, exacerbated by the objective in Europe of requiring the feed to be 100% organic by 31 December 2017 and a 110-fold increase in the global production of GM crops since 1996 (ISAAA, 2017). At present, most countries consider the feed to be organic with 5–10% of the ingredients being non-organic.

A large study has examined the feasibility of that objective (Smith et al., 2014). It was funded through the European CORE Organic II ERA-net programme to support organic research, and led by Aarhus University in Denmark with 15 partners across 10 EU countries. It involved a range of feeding experiments with pigs (sows, piglets and finishers) and poultry (layers and broilers) that focused on concentrate feedstuffs, roughage, and foraging from pasture land. Based on the compiled data, the balance between feed supply and feed demand was calculated in terms of dry matter, energy, crude protein and essential amino acids: lysine, methionine and methionine + cystine. This analysis showed that for the countries involved in this project (ICOPP¹ countries) there was a self-sufficiency rate for organic/conventional feed of 69%. Over 50% of the total demand for concentrate feed was for bovine animals; 16% was for pigs and 31% for poultry. The self-sufficiency rate for crude protein was 56%. Except for Lithuania, the organic crude protein demand exceeded availability, with an overall gap of approximately 135,000 tonnes of crude protein existing within the ICOPP countries. The supply gap with essential amino acids was even higher than the supply gap with crude protein, being just above 50% for lysine and about 40% for methionine + cystine.

It was therefore concluded that:

1.  It seems quite unrealistic that the ICOPP countries will be able to cover the organic protein demand with their own efforts and increase production in the foreseeable future unless major shifts in production take place.

2.  A large of amount of concentrate feed is fed to ruminants. It would be beneficial if part of the concentrate feed for ruminants (total around 1,000,000 tonnes) could be used in feeding pigs and poultry.

3.  In order to meet the essential amino acid requirements for the individual animal categories, the types of protein crops that can be produced organically in a country is relevant. There are different feeding possibilities, which were researched in the ICOPP and other research projects, but still there is a need for more innovative solutions.

4.  Data on organic livestock and the market for livestock products are still scarce. There is a clear need for more and better data and for continuing and reliable data collection efforts in this field.

(Smith et al., 2014)

In attempting to reduce the supply gap in organic feedstuffs, the requirement for the inclusion of roughage, fresh or dried fodder or silage in the diet has to be addressed. To what extent are these ingredients utilized and how do they affect product quality? The high cost of organic grain and protein sources suggests that producers should explore the maximization of pasture contributions during months when grazing is practical. Should nutrient contributions from pasture be considered when formulating diets? These questions are difficult to answer, given the present state of knowledge. Some Danish research suggested that the vitamins and minerals present in the feed and soil, and synthesis from sunlight, can be utilized to a higher degree than normally believed. The issue of whether diets for pigs on pasture require supplementation with vitamins and minerals is addressed in a later chapter.

There is field evidence that some of the organic feed being used does not meet acceptable quality standards (Kienzle et al., 1993; Thielen and Kienzle, 1994). It is to be hoped that this book will help to prevent that situation.

Although the main aim of this book is to provide information to assist advisory personnel, researchers, veterinarians, teachers and organic producers in formulating diets and feeding programmes for organic pigs, the regulatory authorities in several countries may find it of value in addressing nutritional issues relevant to future revisions of the regulations. It seems clear that the current standards and regulations have been developed mainly by those experienced in crop production and in ecological issues, and that a review of the regulations from an animal nutrition perspective would be useful.

¹ Improved Contribution of local feed to support 100% Organic feed supply to Pigs and Poultry.

References

European Commission (1999) Council Regulation (EC) No. 1804/1999 of 19 July 1999 supplementing Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs to include livestock production. Official Journal of the European Communities, 24 August, L222, 1–28.

ISAAA (2017) Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016 (updated May 2017). ISAAA Brief No. 52. ISAAA, Ithaca, New York.

Jakobsen, K. and Hermansen, J.E. (2001) Organic farming – a challenge to nutritionists. Journal of Animal and Feed Science 10(Suppl. 1), 29–42.

Kienzle, E., Groose Beilage, E., Ganter, M., Fuhrmann, H. and Stockhofe-zur Wieden, N. (1993) Nutrition disorders in fattening pigs in an ‘organic’ facility (in German). Tierärztliche Praxis 21, 521–523.

Smith, J., Gerrard, C. and Hermansen, J. (2014) Improved Contribution of Local Feed to Support 100% Organic Feed Supply to Pigs and Poultry. ICOPP Consortium 2014. Available at: http://orgprints.org/28078 (accessed 22 June 2017).

Thielen, C. and Kienzle, E. (1994) The feeding of ‘organic swine’ – a field study (in German). Tierärztliche Praxis 22, 450–459.

2
Aims and Principles of Organic Pig Production

According to the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Food Standards Programme, organic agriculture is:

[A] holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agroecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity . . . emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs as opposed to using synthetic materials. The prima...