LIVESTOCK - Free range & free roaming pig farming

Give pigs enough outdoor space

By Mike Harvey Pigs are intelligent social animals that form close bonds with their offspring and other pigs in the herd, they are foragers by nature, can protect themselves from the elements, build nests to give birth and are excellent communicators. But, according to the Free Range Pork Farmers Association (FRPFA) pigs need the free range opportunity to express these natural behaviours. The FRPFA aims to encourage pig producers who operate the old-fashioned way of raising their pigs on pasture. Free range pig producer Fiona Chambers, Fernleigh Free Range, Bullarto, near Daylesford, Victoria, said FRPFA members produce free range pork from pigs that are managed with the welfare of animals and the environment in mind. The free range, free roaming, pasture raised FRPFA principles include the freedom to graze pasture during the day, to experience sunshine, wind and rain, to access clean fresh water and good feed and to express instinctive behavior. FRPFA member pigs will be free of pain, discomfort, fear and distress, protected from predators, able to nurture their young without the restrictions of farrowing crates and be free from hormones, growth promotants and antibiotics. Nicholas and Fiona Chambers and their family run their Wessex Saddleback free range pigs and Shropshire sheep, with an organic vegetable operation, on 40 hectares (100 acres) in the middle of the Wombat State
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Forest only 60 minutes drive to Melbourne. The Wessex Saddleback, a traditional and now endangered pig breed, were introduced to their farm in 1995. We wanted to grow our own meat as there was no free range pork commercially available at that time, Fiona said. It was completely by accident that we came across the Wessex Saddleback breed and discovered how endangered they had become. We soon came to love the breeds placid temperament as well as their mothering, milking and farrowing ability, resistance to sunburn and love of the outdoor..and of course the flavor of the meat, she said. The Chambers family now run 40 registered purebred Wessex Saddleback sows which is 40 percent of the total breed sow population in the world. There were only 5 breeders and 75 Wessex Saddleback sows in the world in 2003 but enthusiastic and new breeders have lifted numbers to 12 producers and 100 head, she said. Were having fun, eating well and keeping the breed alive. But there is a need to make a return from the pigs so marketing of free range organic pork is a critical economic factor otherwise the operation becomes an expensive hobby. Its consistent and persistent work made easier by the taste of the Wessex Saddleback rare breed, free range meat, she said. The Chambers have been using farmers markets for five years to sell their Fernleigh free range cryovac packed pork.

Free range pig producer Fiona Chambers pictured with some of her purebred Wessex Saddleback pigs.

A Wessex Saddleback sow with piglets roams freely in a large paddock.

June 2008

LIVESTOCK - Free range & free roaming pig farming

They offer a range of specialty cuts including shoulder and leg roasts, bacon, ham, salami, fillets, tails, tongue, ears and trotters. We have a nose to tail, whole beast sales philosophy, Fiona said Meat production focused around only the prime cuts is unsustainable, but with pigs we can market everything except the squeal and there is very little wastage, Fiona said. But she said there are pitfalls, like all forms of livestock production, in free range pig production including extra labor requirements, the impact of the elements and slower growth rates. The natural way for a pig to live is outdoors with grass under its feet, and the sun on its back and this outdoor access is fundamental to the free range system of pork production. The pigs are still commercially produced, farmed in large numbers and destined for the oven, but they have more space, and lead more natural, longer lives and even when they choose to be inside, they have more space, and an enriched environment. Pigs are sociable, curious creatures. They like to range, they love to rest in shaded areas and they have a strong bond with their herd and will protect not only their own young, but all piglets in their group. Free range pork does cost more to produce so it will cost a little more to buy but consumers can influence how pigs are farmed simply by the decision made when pork is purchased. Its consumers every day buying decisions that determine how the animals will live, Fiona said. In 1960 there were 49,537 pork producers in Australia and most of them would have been free range. By 2004 there were only 1999 producers but sow numbers
June 2008

had increased by over 50 percent and 95 percent of pigs were raised in intensive sheds. Fiona Chambers says that the bred free range category is a step in the right direction but there is currently no defined standard to say exactly what bred free range and to what degree growing pigs are allowed outdoor access. Only the sow is free range, not the pork produced from her piglets, she said. Free range pigs should have enough outdoor space to express their natural behavior such as digging, playing, wallowing, eating grass and interacting with other pigs. I think this right should apply to piglets grown for

The Wessex Saddleback is classified as an endangered pig breed. meat, not just their mothers, Fiona said. There is also a misconception that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Accreditation only supports free range farms but this is not the case. RSPCA concentrates on the animal welfare standards pigs are bred, reared, transported and slaughtered under, not the method of housing itself. They do not make a distinction between bred free range and free range or indoor group housing in their accreditation standards. Certified Organic Pork is true free range pork and the requirements include added restrictions on the sort of feed, paddock and animal treatments allowed. Certified organic and certified free range are similar in the high standards set for a natural environment for the pigs to live. So whenever you see certified organic pork it is also genuinely free range. Organic pigs must have daily access to pasture, be fed at least 95 percent certified organic feed with no artificial additives or antibiotics, piglets are not weaned before six weeks of age, there is no tail docking or teeth clipping and castration and removSmall FARMS 35

LIVESTOCK - Free range & free roaming pig farming

able nose rings are generally not allowed. Vaccination is not encouraged, farrowing stalls and crates are not allowed, only natural dewormers and treatments can be used. While antibiotics can be administered to sick or injured animals, their use excludes the treated animal from being organic. There are requirements for full traceability of animals from birth to table, the whole farm should be managed organically without herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers and farm inspections happen at least once of year. Pig producers do not have to be certified to be organic but certification is consumers guarantee of an authentic product. Fiona Chambers said the interest in free range pig production was continuing to grow In the past 15 years I have offered advice to potential producers and in the last few years there have been endless phone calls that have turned an advice service into a job rather than a hobby, she said. I receive daily enquiries from people looking to buy or sell everything from a single pig through to established pig producers thinking of converting from

intensive production to free range. Due to disease considerations its difficult to visit a piggery so there are few avenues for beginners to learn the practical side of the pig industry, she said. The phone calls and lack of practical training options prompted Fiona Chambers

The Wessex Saddleback is known for its placid temperament, mothering, milking and farrowing ability. to introduce a Pig Day Out program at Fernleigh where visitors can gain practical hands-on pig experience and advice including handling, feeding, ear notching, recording, breeding, hoof trimming and vaccination. A trial Pig Day Out attracted 6 visitors and a full scale version will be conducted on June 22. I I Contact: Fiona Chambers, 03 5348 5566, email: organic@fernleighfarms.com

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June 2008