About Lesson
Converting to organic livestock production
- Grassland productivity and stocking rates:
- Forage production during conversion to organic production will depend on the intensity of previous conventional management; the seasonal production pattern of pastures is also likely to change with a reduction in early spring growth.
- Lower forage yields and feed shortages are reported frequently during the process of conversion (Haggar and Padel, 1996) depending on clover content, soil, and climatic conditions and the intensity of the conventional system with which the organic system is compared.
2. Feeding regime and diet:
- The aim of an organic grass-based farming system usually is to maximize the production from home grown forage.
- However, the standards do not exclude the use of ready mixed concentrates but place some restrictions on components and the proportion of conventional feed.
3. Animal health and breeding:
- Conversion to organic production implies a change in animal health management, best characterized by a move away from therapeutical treatment to preventive management.
- The control of internal parasites can be successfully achieved with management practices such as clean grazing systems, mixed stocking, rotational grazing, and selection of resistant stock and breeds.
- A reduction in the stocking rate will also have an effect in reducing the parasite burden of pastures.
4. Animal productivity
- Reported milk yield varies with a reduction of about 10-25% or none as compared to conventional systems (more with intensive systems with the intensive breed and higher levels of concentrates).
- The reduction is likely to come from reduced concentrate feeding and low forage supply (quantity and/or quality and lack of continuity).
5. Certification and marketing
- They seem to illustrate a dilemma, faced by many: to find technological solutions to fulfill the hygiene requirements a certain production volume appears to be necessary.
- This implies that the on-farm processing becomes a major enterprise and can dominate the farming activities.
