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Organic Livestock Farming: Potential and Limitations of Husbandry Practice to Secure Animal Health and Welfare and Food Quality

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Organic Livestock Farming: Potential and Limitations of Husbandry Practice to Secure Animal Health and Welfare and Food Quality Organic livestock farming: potential and limitations of husbandry practice to secure animal health and welfare and food quality Proceedings of the 2nd SAFO Workshop 25-27 March 2004, Witzenhausen, Germany Edited by M. Hovi, A. Sundrum and S. Padel Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming (SAFO) Co-ordinator: Mette Vaarst (Danish Institute of Animal Science, Denmark) Steering Committee Malla Hovi (The University of Reading, England) Susanne Padel (The University of Aberystwyth, Wales) Albert Sundrum (The University of Kassel, Germany) David Younie (Scottish Agricultural College, Scotland) Edited by: Malla Hovi, Albert Sundrum and Susanne Padel Publication date: July 2004 Printed in: The University of Reading ISBN: 07049 1458 1 Contents Foreword M. Hovi, A. Martini, S. Padel 1 Acknowledgements 3 Part A: Organic animal health management and food quality at the farm level: Current state and future challenges Organic livestock production and food quality: a review of current status and future challenges M. Vaarst and M. Hovi 7 Animal health in organic farming defined by experts- concept mapping and the interpretation of the concept of naturalnessl T. Baars, E. Baars and K. Eikmans 17 Animal, welfare and health problem areas from an organic farmer’s point of view U. Schumacher 25 A veterinarian’s perspective of animal health problems on organic farms. P. Plate 27 Part B: Animal health and welfare: organic dairy production Swiss organic dairy milk farmer survey: which path for the organic cow in the future? E. Haas and B. Pabst 35 Animal health in organic dairy farming – results of a survey in Germany. C. Winckler and J. Brinkmann 43 Suckling as an alternative rearing system for replacement calves on dairy farms J. Langhout and J.-Paul Wagenaar 49 Feeding strategies in Swiss organic farming to improve food quality and animal health B. Früh 55 The investigations of complex management: The story of bulk milk somatic cell counts and deep litter barns T. Baars and G. Smolders 59 Udder health concepts that comply with organic principles – how to reduce therapies? M. Walkenhorst, C. Notz, P. Klocke, J. Spranger and F. Heil 71 The relationship between worm burden and milk quality of goats R. Koopmann and K. Barth 77 Part C: Animal health and welfare: organic beef and sheep production Problem areas in animal health and welfare on organic farms: Effects of pasture on animal health, welfare and performances of organic beef reared in Tuscany in Italy A. Martini, C. Sargentini, G. Lorenzini, V. Morrocchi, A. Giorgetti, C. Contini, L. Omodei-Zorini, V. Ferrante and A. Tellini 89 Proposed husbandry practices to ensure animal health and product quality in organic sheep and goat production systems G. Arsenos, G. Banos, G. E. Valergakis, P. Fortomaris and D. Zygoyiannis 101 Production effects at different systems of environmentally friendly grazing of fat heifers in the Carpathians S. Twardy, R. Kostuch, A. Kuzniar and I. Szewczyk 115 Nutritional aspects of bioactive forages for worm control in organic sheep and goats H. Hoste, S. Athanasiadou, V. Paolini, F. Jackson, R. L. Coop, I Kyriazakis, E. Barrow, L. Fouraste, J. Valderrabano, J. Uriarte, M. Larsen, H. Mejer and S. Thamsborg 123 Control of gastrointestinal nematodes in organic beef cattle through grazing management H. Hertzberg, R. Figi, F. Noto and F. Heckendorn 129 Part D: Animal health and welfare: organic poultry production Organic broilers in the Netherlands T. B. Rodenburg et al. 139 Health in free-range chickens - facts and fairy tales M. Bestmann 145 Protein supply for organic poultry: options and short-comings W. Zollitsch 153 How to motivate laying hens to use the hen run E. Zeltner 161 Part E: Health and welfare assessment and certification at farm level Incorporation of existing animal welfare assessment techniques into organic certification and farming T. Leeb et al. 169 Development of an advisory systems that supports good animal welfare in organic milk production in Norway B. Henriksen 177 Development of organic livestock production and certification in Latvia J. Miculis 183 Problems and challenges with the certification of organic pigs. A. Sundrum and M. Ebke 193 Part F: Poster presentations Assessing dairy cow cleanliness, milk hygiene and mastitis incidence during winter housing on organic and conventional farms in the UK. K.A. Ellis, P.J. Cripps, M. Mihm, W. G. McLean, C. V. Howard and D. H. Grove-White 201 Comparison of cattle production on organic and conventional farms in Poland. J. Zastawny, H. Jankowska-Huflejt and B. Wróbel 207 The production of organic table birds in England: a study of commercial flocks. S. Roderick and W. Yates 217 Reducing ammonia and mineral losses in organic pig production. S. G. Ivanova-Peneva and A.J.A. Aarnink 223 Influence of forge on microbial activity in the hind gut of pigs and potential benefits to soil biology. W. Trejo-Lizama, M. Raubuch and A. Sundrum 229 Methods to control parasite infections without recourse to antiparasitic drugs. A. Scossa, F. Saltalamacchia, C. Tripaldi and G. Gringoli 235 Development of organic farming in Estonia. R. Lemming and M. Henno 241 Animal production and marketing for the diffusion of organic farming in the natural parks of Tuscany in Italy. A. Martini, P. Migliorini, C. Zucchi, G. Lorenzini and S. Rosi Belliėre 245 Part G: Working group reports Animal health and welfare on the farm: Identification of common and country- specific problems and potential solutions 251 Solutions to farm level constraints in ensuring high health and welfare status 261 Report from the SAFO Co-ordinator 269 Mette Vaarst List of delegates 273 [LEFT BLANK] Proceedings of the 2nd SAFO Workshop, Witzenhausen, Germany 1 Foreword Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming (SAFO) is an European Commission funded project, with the objective to contribute to improved animal health and food safety in organic livestock production systems in existing and candidate member countries of the European Union. Workshops form a central part of the SAFO activities. This volume, with the contributions to the 2nd SAFO Workshop in Witzenhausen, Germany in March 2004, is one in a series of five proceedings published during the lifetime of the project (2003-2006). Electronic version of the proceedings will also be available at the SAFO web-site at http://www.safonetwork.org/. The 2nd SAFO workshop focussed on the impact of farm level practices on animal health and quality aspects of organic livestock production. While most farm assurance schemes, including the organic farming certification, are primarily concerned with regulating the production system, the outcomes of the system, in terms of animal health and welfare, are particularly important in livestock production. The status quo assessments presented in the Workshop suggested that animal health and welfare outcomes of the organic production systems do not necessarily fulfil high consumer – or indeed animal – expectations. It was also suggested, that there may be particular problems in relation to the quality and safety of animal products, particularly in situations where regulations to achieve wider objectives – e.g. animal welfare - could have negative impact in relation to zoonotic diseases. Some of the speakers highlighted the inadequacies of the current inspection and certification systems, in terms of securing high levels of health and welfare in organic livestock systems. – Improved health planning, combined with a structured assessment of health and welfare outcomes, as part of certification, was suggested as a potential solution to these problems. Perhaps the most valuable offering of the 2nd SAFO Workshop was the wealth of information on husbandry, feeding and breeding techniques that are being developed for organic livestock production systems all over the Community. In spite of some formidable problems, marked strides forward are being taken by the farmers and their advisers in areas like improving the poultry husbandry, identifying suitable feeding and breeding strategies for dairy cows and controlling parasites with minimal medicine inputs. – One of the important tasks of the SAFO Network is to ensure that the messages from these projects are taken into consideration in the development of the EU Regulation on organic livestock production. Malla Hovi, Albert Sundrum and Susanne Padel Orgainic livestock farming: potential and limitations of husbandary practice to secure animal health and welfare and food quality 2 Proceedings of the 2nd SAFO Workshop, Witzenhausen, Germany [LEFT BLANK] Organic livestock farming: potential amd limitations of husbandry practice to secure animal health and welfare and food quality Proceedings of the 2nd SAFO Workshop, Witzenhausen, Germany 3 Acknowledgements The SAFO Network would like to thank Albert Sundrum and all the members of the staff of the Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health at the University of Kassel for the practical organisation of the Workshop. Thanks also go to the staff of the canteen of the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences in Witzenhausen for offering excellent organic food throughout the Workshop. The Workshop delegates and the organisers are most grateful to the farmer, Dr. Feindt, who opened his farm to a visit during the Workshop. Finally, all speakers and delegates are thanked for active participation, contributions and lively discussions that made the event a real workshop. Orgainic livestock farming: potential and limitations of husbandary practice to secure animal health
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