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Organic Swine Production
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- Pest Management
- Season Extension
- Seed Production and Plant Breeding
- Livestock
- Ecology and Environment
- Nutrition, Safety and Health of Organic Foods
- Post-harvest Handling, Storage and Processing
- Social Science
- Marketing and Economics
- Transition to Organic
- Canadian Organic Research Priorities
Practical Results
General resources
- Breeding for organic and low input pig production systems [PDF - 336 kB]
- LowInputBreeds. 2014
- 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
- 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.
- Midwest Organic & Sustainable Eductation Service. 2014
- Tail biting in pigs - causes and prevention (Video)
- FiBL. 2017
Scientific Results
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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