Organic broilers in floorless pens on pasture

A. Bassler, K. Elwinger and P. Ciszuk

Abstract
Different aspects of rearing broilers organically in floorless pens on pasture were investigated. The birds and pens were moved daily to fresh pasture. The interdisciplinary studies comprise the birds‘ growth performance and carcass quality, health, behaviour, leg condition and the birds’ effect on pasture. In the final study, on-farm diets were tested in a feeding experiment indoors.

The data are based on four experiments carried out during 2000 to 2003. In 2000 and 2002, restricted-fed conventional broilers (ROSS 208) were reared in floorless pens on pasture and in control groups outdoors on straw.

In 2001, two genotypes, ROSS 208 and the slow-growing ISA 657 were reared on three ground types, pasture, outdoors on straw and indoors on wood shavings with either an ad libitum or restricted feeding level.

In 2003, a feeding experiment with slow-growing broilers (ISA 957) fed on-farm diets in a choice feeding system was conducted indoors. Most birds were reared to 12 weeks of age, but ad libitum-fed ROSS birds were reared to 6 weeks. The experimental phase was from ca. 3 weeks to slaughter.

The experiments indicate that under the given conditions:

Access to pasture does not offer sufficient protein and metabolizable energy to allow considerable feed savings in the farm enterprise (Study I)
Moving the floorless pens daily provides favourable conditions to prevent infections with Eimeria in outdoor broilers. No Campylobacter was found in the birds on pasture (Study II)
Access to pasture as such appears to play no major role for the broilers‘ physical activity (Study III) or leg condition (Study IV)
Broiler chickens on pasture can sustain white clover in a mixed grass/white clover pasture (Study V)
With access to high-quality protein during the first three weeks there is a good potential to produce organic broiler meat with feed produced on-farm in northwestern Europe (Study VI)

Design of a floorless pen, 3.30 wide x 4.00 x 0.65 m, containing 2 experimental groups. Both pen-halves are designed identically. 60-90 birds per pen:

Rear half furnished with water resistant cardboard.
Tank for drinking water.
Wire net, dividing the pen along the longitudinal axis.
Roofs, covering feeders and drinkers, slide under water tank.
3 Feed troughs, 350 cm feeder space per group.
2 Drinkers, each 13 cm wide, per group.
3 Perches, 5 m total length, per group.
Set-up to move the pen: One wheel attached at each rear corner, trolley hooked to the front side.

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Dept. of Animal Nutrition and Management, Uppsala, Sweden
Website: www.huv.slu.se
E-mail: Arnd.Bassler@huv.slu.se

From Proceedings of the 1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production
© IFOAM, August 2006, posted here with permission.

en français

Posted August 2007


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Research Extension Courses Consumers -------------------------- Virtual Farm Tours Student & Job Opportunities News Articles Links Standards -------------------------- Market Information Events Issues Animal Welfare Strategic Plans -------------------------- Award-winners Kids Stuff Rural Culture Classified Ads Weather Site Map	Organic broilers in floorless pens on pasture A. Bassler, K. Elwinger and P. Ciszuk *Abstract* Different aspects of rearing broilers organically in floorless pens on pasture were investigated. The birds and pens were moved daily to fresh pasture. The interdisciplinary studies comprise the birds‘ growth performance and carcass quality, health, behaviour, leg condition and the birds’ effect on pasture. In the final study, on-farm diets were tested in a feeding experiment indoors. The data are based on four experiments carried out during 2000 to 2003. In 2000 and 2002, restricted-fed conventional broilers (ROSS 208) were reared in floorless pens on pasture and in control groups outdoors on straw. In 2001, two genotypes, ROSS 208 and the slow-growing ISA 657 were reared on three ground types, pasture, outdoors on straw and indoors on wood shavings with either an ad libitum or restricted feeding level. In 2003, a feeding experiment with slow-growing broilers (ISA 957) fed on-farm diets in a choice feeding system was conducted indoors. Most birds were reared to 12 weeks of age, but ad libitum-fed ROSS birds were reared to 6 weeks. The experimental phase was from ca. 3 weeks to slaughter. The experiments indicate that under the given conditions: Access to pasture does not offer sufficient protein and metabolizable energy to allow considerable feed savings in the farm enterprise (Study I) Moving the floorless pens daily provides favourable conditions to prevent infections with Eimeria in outdoor broilers. No Campylobacter was found in the birds on pasture (Study II) Access to pasture as such appears to play no major role for the broilers‘ physical activity (Study III) or leg condition (Study IV) Broiler chickens on pasture can sustain white clover in a mixed grass/white clover pasture (Study V) With access to high-quality protein during the first three weeks there is a good potential to produce organic broiler meat with feed produced on-farm in northwestern Europe (Study VI) Design of a floorless pen, 3.30 wide x 4.00 x 0.65 m, containing 2 experimental groups. Both pen-halves are designed identically. 60-90 birds per pen: Rear half furnished with water resistant cardboard. Tank for drinking water. Wire net, dividing the pen along the longitudinal axis. Roofs, covering feeders and drinkers, slide under water tank. 3 Feed troughs, 350 cm feeder space per group. 2 Drinkers, each 13 cm wide, per group. 3 Perches, 5 m total length, per group. Set-up to move the pen: One wheel attached at each rear corner, trolley hooked to the front side. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Dept. of Animal Nutrition and Management, Uppsala, Sweden Website: www.huv.slu.se E-mail: Arnd.Bassler@huv.slu.se From Proceedings of the 1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production © IFOAM, August 2006, posted here with permission. en français Posted August 2007
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Organic broilers in floorless pens on pasture

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