Nutrition and Feeding of Organic Pigs

Organic animal production has increased rapidly in recent years to keep up with the increasing consumer demand for organic meats. There are many guidelines and restrictions on what should go into the feedstuffs of organically farmed animals. As a result, difficulties arise when trying to ensure a well-balanced, nutritious diet without the use of any supplements.

This second edition of Robert Blair’s classic and best-selling book on the nutrition and feeding of organic pigs presents advice on formulating appropriate diets and integrating them into organic pig production systems. It provides the international standards of organic feeding, the breeds of pig that are most suitable for organic farming, up to date information on pigs’ nutritional requirements, and examples of diets formulated to organic standards.

The new edition has been completely updated and revised to address how to formulate organic diets in situations where there is a declining supply of organic feed as well as the feasibility of utilizing novel feedstuffs and their acceptability by consumers of organic meat products. Available data on feed-related disease incidence in organic herds has been revised, and included are the experiences of producers in relation to appropriate breeds and production systems for forage-based organic production.