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Environmental Management of Outdoor Pigs for Protein, Plough and Pest Control

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Environmental Management of Outdoor Pigs for Protein, Plough and Pest Control Environmental Management of Outdoor Pigs for Protein, Plough and Pest Control A report for By Matthew Simmons 2012 Nuffield Scholar June 2013 Nuffield Australia Project No: 1213 Sponsored by: Sidney Myer Foundation © 2013 Nuffield Australia. All rights reserved. This publication has been prepared in good faith on the basis of information available at the date of publication without any independent verification. Nuffield Australia does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness of currency of the information in this publication nor its usefulness in achieving any purpose. Readers are responsible for assessing the relevance and accuracy of the content of this publication. Nuffield Australia will not be liable for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of any person using or relying on the information in this publication. Products may be identified by proprietary or trade names to help readers identify particular types of products but this is not, and is not intended to be, an endorsement or recommendation of any product or manufacturer referred to. Other products may perform as well or better than those specifically referred to. This publication is copyright. However, Nuffield Australia encourages wide dissemination of its research, providing the organisation is clearly acknowledged. For any enquiries concerning reproduction or acknowledgement contact the Publications Manager on ph: (03) 54800755 . Scholar Contact Details Matthew Simmons Melanda Park Free Range Pork Stones Rd Ebenezer NSW 2756 Phone: 0245 798185 Fax: Email: [email protected] In submitting this report, the Scholar has agreed to Nuffield Australia publishing this material in its edited form. NUFFIELD AUSTRALIA Contact Details Nuffield Australia Telephone: (03) 54800755 Facsimile: (03) 54800233 Mobile: 0412696076 Email: [email protected] PO Box 586 Moama NSW 2731 ii Executive Summary In the 21st century the environment is at the forefront of decision making with the world’s resources becoming increasingly depleted and with the demand on those resources increasing daily, we need to be constantly looking out for alternative methods of maintaining our soil fertility and even regenerating soil that has been depleted of life. Pigs have the ability to do this. A combination of manure and rooting activity combined with periods of vegetative growth and cropping slowly brings back life to dead soils. Consumers are pushing for a higher welfare pork product and as a result there is an opportunity to develop farming systems that use the full potential of the pig in a way that fulfils the consumer’s desire for higher welfare and at the same time provides added benefits to the farm. Combining pig production with various types of cropping can increase the value of the crop by increasing the soil biology and available nutrients with fewer inputs and the ability the pigs have to break the cycle of pests and disease. The benefits of outdoor pig production can be quickly lost if the production system is not managed correctly. If pigs are not rotated adequately or kept on unsuitable land there is potential for greater damage than good. Outdoor pig production will never equal the efficiency of confinement pigs but the total benefits, including the benefits to cropping through weed suppression, increased organic matter and the availability of nutrients, can be greater than the industry realises. iii Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ iii Foreword ...........................................................................................................................................v Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. vii Objectives ..........................................................................................................................................8 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................9 The modern outdoor piggery ...........................................................................................................9 Using pigs to regenerate depleted land ........................................................................................... 10 Rooting and Digging ..................................................................................................................... 11 Combining green manure crops ..................................................................................................... 13 Value-adding green manure crops ................................................................................................. 13 Breaking the cycle of weeds and disease ....................................................................................... 14 Maintaining Pasture Cover ............................................................................................................ 17 Buffer Strips ................................................................................................................................. 17 Public perception .......................................................................................................................... 18 Nose Rings ................................................................................................................................... 18 Pasture types ................................................................................................................................. 19 Increasing Soil Fertility .................................................................................................................. 21 Soil Type ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Working with Arable farmers ........................................................................................................ 23 Managing Manure and Nutrient Build Up..................................................................................... 25 Managing Wallows ....................................................................................................................... 25 Stocking Density ........................................................................................................................... 26 Calculating manure output ............................................................................................................ 28 Plant Available Nitrogen ............................................................................................................... 29 Ammonium Nitrogen and Volatilisation Losses............................................................................. 29 Organic Nitrogen and Mineralisation ............................................................................................. 31 Nitrate Nitrogen ............................................................................................................................ 31 Minimising Nitrogen Losses ......................................................................................................... 31 Incorporation ................................................................................................................................ 31 Cropping ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Cereals .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Vegetables .................................................................................................................................... 36 Hay production ............................................................................................................................. 37 Lucerne ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Forestry ........................................................................................................................................ 38 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 40 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 40 References ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Plain English Compendium Summary ........................................................................................... 43 Table of Figures Table 1 the SPU equivalent for all classes of pigs. ............................................................................. 28 Table 2 the total solids and nutrients produced by each class of pig (kg/hd/yr) ................................... 28 Table 3 Nutrient Uptake by Various Crops ........................................................................................ 32 iv Foreword Twelve years ago my wife Sue and
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