Organic Swine Production

General resources

• Breeding for organic and low input pig production systems [PDF - 336 kB]
  
  • LowInputBreeds. 2014
    
• Chicory root improves the taste and odour of organic pork
  • Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming. 2005
• Cost of Organic Pork Production
  • Iowa State University. 2003
• Introduction to Organic Swine Production [PDF - 4.0 MB]
  
  • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
• Organic pig production in free range systems
  • Organic Eprints. 2005
    
• An Overview on Organic Pork Production
  
  • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 2011

Health and welfare

• Guidance for Organic Pig Production: Animal Welfare on Organic Farms [PDF - 125 kB]
  
  • Animal Welfare Task Force. 2009
• Improving health and welfare of pigs - A handbook for organic pig farmers [PDF - 2.9 MB]
  
  • FiBL. 2015
• Index of Pig Diseases
  • Organic-Vet
• Organic Pig Production in Europe – Health Management in Common Organic Pig Farming [PDF - 2.8 MB]
  
  • FiBL. 2011
• Pain Management in Livestock Husbandry: 2. Castration, Branding & Tail Docking [PDF - 141 kB]
  
  • Animal Welfare Task Force. 2009
• Thwart external livestock parasites with prevention, organic controls 
  • Midwest Organic & Sustainable Eductation Service. 2014
    Please note that this document was prepared in the USA. Please check with your certifying body before using any of the recommended products.
• Tail biting in pigs - causes and prevention (Video)
  
  • FiBL. 2017

Breed selection

• Breeding replacement gilts for organic pig herds
  • animal (2011) 5: 615-621
• Effect of breed on performance and meat quality of first parity sows in a seasonal organic rearing system
  • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2011) 91: 2882-2887
• Genotype–environment interactions for growth and carcass traits in different pig breeds kept under conventional and organic production systems
  • animal (2010) 4: 535-544
• Preferences for pig breeding goals among organic and conventional farmers in Sweden
  • Organic Agriculture (2016) 6: 171-182

Health and disease management

• Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli from Pigs in Organic and Conventional Farming in Four European Countries
  • PLoS ONE 11(6): e0157049
• Campylobacter coli in Organic and Conventional Pig Production in France and Sweden: Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Frontiers in Microbiology (2017) 8: 955
• Characterization of Antibiotic Resistance Gene Abundance and Microbiota Composition in Feces of Organic and Conventional Pigs from Four EU Countries
  • PLoS ONE (2015) 10: e0132892
• Controlling risks of pathogen transmission by flies on organic pig farms
  • Outlook on Agriculture (2007) 36: 193-197
    
• The effect of a diet with fructan-rich chicory roots on intestinal helminths and microbiota with special focus on Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter in piglets around weaning
  • animal (2011) 5: 851-860
    
• No Clear Differences between Organic or Conventional Pig Farms in the Genetic Diversity or Virulence of Campylobacter coli Isolates
  • Frontiers in Microbiology (2017) 8: 1016
• Organic Pig Husbandry Systems
  • Organic Eprints. 2010
    
• Prevention and treatment of parasitic infections in organic pigs
  • Organic Eprints. 2007
• Quantifying Attachment and Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli from Conventional and Organic Swine Manure
  • Journal of Environmental Quality (2016) 45: 609-617
• Survival and development of Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis eggs in deep-litter on an organic pig farm
  • Organic Eprints. 2011
• Use of different rooting materials to improve hygiene and to lower ammonia emission within the outdoor concrete area in organic growing finishing pig production
  • Livestock Science (2016) 191: 64-71

Feed

• Ethics of feeding: The omnivore dilemma
  • Animal Welfare (2010) 19: 37-44
• Fattening and slaughtering performance of growing pigs consuming high levels of alfalfa silage (Medicago sativa) in organic pig production
  • Livestock Science (2017) 200: 46-52
• Feeding weaned piglets and growing-finishing pigs with diets based on mainly home-grown organic feedstuffs
  • Agricultural and Food Science (2006) 15: 89-105
• Organic grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) seeds as a protein source for weaned piglets: Effects of seed treatment and different inclusion rates on animal performance
  • Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2016) 31: 269-279
• Piglet uniformity and mortality in large organic litters: Effects of parity and pre-mating diet composition
  • Livestock Science (2012) 144: 218-229
• Postharvest grazing of hogs in organic fruit orchards for weed, fruit, and insect pest management
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 223-232
• Sainfoin seeds in organic diets for weaned piglets—utilizing the protein-rich grains of a long-known forage legume
  • Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2016) 31: 12-21
• Sustainable pig nutrition in organic farming: by-products from food processing as a feed resource
  • Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2004) 19: 159-167
    

General

• An Experimental Approach to the Investment Timing of Conventional and Organic Hog Farmers
  • Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics (2017) 65: 293-315
• Investment behavior and status quo bias of conventional and organic hog farmers: An experimental approach
  • Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2016) 31: 318-329

Grazing and pasture management

• Design of rooting yards for better hygiene and lower ammonia emissions within the outdoor concrete area in organic pig production
  • Livestock Science (2016) 185: 79-88
• Foraging behaviour, nutrient intake from pasture and performance of free-range growing pigs in relation to feed CP level in two organic cropping systems
  • Animal (2015) 9: 2006-2016
• Integration of organic animal production into land use with special reference to swine and poultry
  • Livestock Production Science (2004) 90: 11-26
• Mineral load on the paddock of organic sows in the Netherlands
  • Organic Eprints. 2005
    
• Mixed grazing with heifers and pregnant sows
  • Grassland Science in Europe (2000) 5: 359-361
• Organic growing pigs in pasture systems – effect of feeding strategy and cropping system on foraging activity, nutrient intake from the range area and pig performance
  • Organic Eprints. 2014

Housing

• Comparison of pig behaviour when given a sequence of enrichment objects or a chain continuously
  • Animal Welfare (2011) 20: 641-649
• Influence of environmental enrichment on the behaviour, performance and meat quality of domestic pigs
  • Livestock Production Science (2000) 65: 71-79
• A longitudinal study of the effects of providing straw at different stages of life on tail-biting and other behaviour in commercially housed pigs
  • Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2011) 134: 100-108
• Performance of gestating sows in bedded hoop barns and confinement stalls
  • Journal of Animal Science (2007) 85:1311–1317
• Review of wallowing in pigs: implications for animal welfare
  • Animal Welfare (2011) 20: 347-363

Meat quality

• Assessing impacts of organic production on pork and beef quality
  • CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources (2010) 5: 1-13
• Classification of trace elements in tissues from organic and conventional French pig production
  • Meat Science (2018) 141:28-35
• Effect of organic and conventional rearing system on the mineral content of pork
  • Meat Science (2016) 118: 103-107
• Enhancing pork flavor and fat quality with swine raised in sylvan systems: Potential niche-market application for the Ossabaw hog
  • Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2006) 21: 183-191
• Feedlot performance, carcass composition and meat quality of free-range reared pigs
  • Canadian Journal of Animal Science (1997) 77: 225-232
• Improving meat quality of organic pork through post mortem handling of carcasses: An innovative approach
  • Meat Science (2012) 91: 108-115
• Influence of environmental enrichment on the behaviour, performance and meat quality of domestic pigs
  • Livestock Production Science (2000) 65: 71-79
• The natural and organic pork market: a sustainable niche for small-scale producers ? A review and analysis of the evidence
  • American Journal of Alternative Agriculture (2003) 18: 18-26

Sustainability

Evaluation of the sustainability of contrasted pig farming systems:

• The procedure, the evaluated systems and the evaluation tools
  • Animal (2014) 8: 2011-2015
• Breeding programmes
  • Animal (2014) 8: 2016-2026
• Evaluating environmental impacts of contrasting pig farming systems with life cycle assessment
  • Animal (2014) 8: 2027-2037
• Development of a market conformity tool for pork products based on technological quality traits
  • Animal (2014) 8: 2038-2046
• Economy
  • Animal (2014) 8: 2047-2057
• Integrated evaluation
  • Animal (2014) 8: 2058-2068

Welfare

• Animal health and welfare in production systems for organic fattening pigs
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 135-147
• Animal health, welfare and production problems in organic pregnant and lactating sows
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 93-105
• Animal health, welfare and production problems in organic weaner pigs
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 123-133
• Castration induced pain in pigs and other livestock
  • Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2011) 135: 214-225
• Characteristics of organic pig farms in selected European countries and their possible influence on litter size and piglet mortality
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 163-173
    
• Consumer Attitudes Towards Alternatives to Piglet Castration Without Pain Relief in Organic Farming: Qualitative Results from Germany
  • Animal Welfare (2008) 17: 275-284
• The effect of farrowing duration on maternal behavior of hyperprolific sows in organic outdoor production
  • Livestock Science (2017) 204: 92-97
• Health and welfare of organic pigs in Europe assessed with animal-based parameters
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 149-161
• Health, welfare and production problems in organic suckling piglets
  • Organic Agriculture (2014) 4: 107-121
    
• Herd- and sow-related risk factors for lameness in organic and conventional sow herds 
  • animal (2014) 8: 121-127
• Influence of olfactory substances on the heart rate and lying behaviour of pigs during transport simulation
  • Animal Welfare (2008) 17: 155-160
• The long and short of it: A review of tail docking in farm animals
  • Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2011) 135: 179-191
• Review of wallowing in pigs: implications for animal welfare
  • Animal Welfare (2011) 20: 347-363
• Sow level risk factors for early piglet mortality and crushing in organic outdoor production
  • Animal (2018) 12:810-818
• Welfare of entire males and females in organic pig production when reared in single-sex groups
  • Livestock Science (2012) 149: 118-127