1995 FreeLandMast

Problem

Conventional unstructured housing systems with full or partially slatted floors do not allow pigs to live out the behaviors typical of their species. Such housing systems are critical from the point of view of animal welfare and are often not accepted by consumers and the public. Free-range housing for fattening pigs can offer an alternative. However, there is still relatively little experience with free-range housing of fattening pigs in our climatic latitudes.

Objective

The aim of this project was to gain practical experience in a free-range trial with fattening pigs, to determine the animal performance that can be achieved in the open air and, in particular, to critically examine problem areas, especially the nutrient input to the trial area, as well as technical and labour aspects of one summer and one winter run each.

Material and methods

In two runs, 10 and 12 pigs, respectively, were housed and fattened in the open. They were housed on a grassland area of 1000^m2, and the necessary utilities for eating, drinking and lying were also installed. These were a mash feeder, a heated drinking basin and two warm air fattening beds from HAKA.

Selected test results

-Animal performance was satisfactory in both runs.

-The punctual nutrient input to the experimental area was enormously high. Accordingly, there was a very strong accumulation of nutrients in the soil. It is to be feared that these nutrients cannot be permanently bound and are consequently washed out or escape in gaseous form.

-Despite the large amount of land available, the deposition of feces and urine mostly occurred near the supply unit with drinking trough and wallow. The highest nutrient enrichment was also observed there. Conclusion

Free-range housing can be regarded as a practicable method for fattening pigs, which can also be classified as very animal-friendly.

-The amount of land available should be kept as low as possible, and it should be rotated several times during the fattening process in order to reduce the punctual nutrient input.

-The free-range system should be considered as a part of a land use system and must be integrated into the crop rotation of the farm.

-Fundamental technical problems do not arise, targeted labor-economical investigations are pending.

Data and animal performance of the trial runs

Poster