Improved pig feed and feeding strategies

The demand to be self-sufficient in feed for organic animal production is increasing, but pig production is restrained by the difficulty to provide feed ingredients for suitable nutrient supply. In order to meet the demands for protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals for pigs, alternative feed crops and feed ingredients therefore have to be found.

The overall objective of this project is to obtain improved knowledge for development of suitable feed formulations and feeding strategies for organic pig production. The research will study how to supply pigs with dietary protein and essential amino acids, and with vitamins and minerals under outdoor conditions. Furthermore, feeding of piglets in connection with weaning, improvement of resistance to infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the interactions between diet composition and the carcass and meat quality in slaughter pigs, will be studied. Experiments will be performed with breeding sows, as well as weaned pigs and growing-finishing pigs.

The research will provide information on the effect of lupine and dietary protein level on the performance and nutrient utilisation of growing pigs and product quality of organic pork. The effect of lupin on skatole in back fat is included. Furthermore, the research will provide knowledge about utilisation of pastures and silage in feeding of pregnant sows. Nutritional ways to overcome problems with higher infectious pressure for pigs with access to outdoor facilities and straw bedding will be studied. It is expected that the project provide tools for an environmental friendly production of pigs in Denmark, with minimal use of therapeutic antibiotics and anthelmintics.

Publications

Project title
II.7 Pig feeding under organic farming conditions with emphasis on nutrient utilisation, product quality and health (ORGANICPIGFEED)

Project leader
Martin Tang Sørensen, senior scientist
Danish Institute for Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Nutrition and Physiology
P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele
Phone: +45 89 99 15 54, Fax: +45 89 99 15 25
E-mail: MartinT.Sorensen@agrsci.dk

Project participants
Jose A. Fernandez, Søren Krogh Jensen, Hanne Damgaard Poulsen, Martin Tang Sørensen, Knud Erik Bach Knudsen, Ellen-Margrethe Vestergaard, Laurits Lydehøj Hansen, Christer Ohlsson & Karen Søegaard, DIAS
Chris Claudi-Magnussen, Danish Meat Research Institute
Hanne Maribo, Danish Bacon and Meat Council