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This review aimed to systematically map and summarize the status of animal health and welfare in organic production. The prevalence of diseases and behavioural effects in organic dairy cow, beef cattle, sheep, pig, laying hen and broiler chicken were discussed in the context of the organic values and current knowledge on animal health and welfare. In total 166 peer-reviewed scientific publications between 2008 and 2020 were included. No strong evidence for neither inferior nor distinctly higher animal welfare in organic compared with conventional production could be supported. The welfare status of organic livestock is in general good in relation to the OIE definition of animal health and welfare. However, organic systems are still facing several challenges related to animal health and the arising of goal conflicts due to management and practical implications. Greater possibilities to perform species-specific behaviours in organic production systems, however, indicate that the organic standards offer a good framework for high animal welfare management. For organic dairy farmers, the main health problems are similar to those of non-organic farms; especially mastitis and lameness need improvement. Parasites, together with mastitis and lamb mortality, are important welfare issues in organic sheep production. Piglet mortality, leg problems, parasite load and increasing respiratory problems are of major relevance in organic pig production. For organic laying hens, major health challenges relate to feather pecking and cannibalism, parasites and possibilities to express species-specific behaviours. For organic broilers, dermatitis of footpads, hocks and breast are reported as main health issues.

Simple Summary:& nbsp;Outdoor access, environmental enrichment and more slower-growing hybrids are means to improve broiler welfare in organic production. Two slower-growing hybrids are currently reared on organic farms in Sweden, but knowledge of bird welfare is limited. Therefore this study surveyed chicken behaviour, including free-range use and features of this, on Swedish organic farms. The results showed that, even towards the end of their production cycle, the chickens were agile enough to ascend various objects for perching. The birds were highly motivated to do so and were provided with a variety of items for perching across farms, but the quantity appeared to be insufficient. On average, almost half of all birds observed on the floor, were in a sitting posture. Free-range areas generally lacked sufficient vegetation cover or artificial shelters, and chickens were mainly observed ranging close to the house. This is novel information on the behaviour and free-range use of two slower-growing hybrids on Swedish organic farms. Key improvements to the indoor environment (e.g., environmental enrichment) and outdoor environment (e.g., vegetation or artificial shelter) could increase broiler welfare. Further research should explore feasible ways for farmers to implement such measures. Two slower-growing hybrids (Rowan Ranger and Hubbard) are currently reared in organic broiler production in Sweden, but knowledge of bird welfare on commercial farms is limited. This study examined chicken behaviour, including free-range use and features of this, in order to enhance knowledge, describe the current situation and identify practical solutions on Swedish organic broiler farms. Eight of 12 available farms were visited once each, when average flock age was 55 & PLUSMN; 6 days. Farmer interviews were followed by avoidance distance tests, group behavioural observations, and assessment of use of environmental enrichment and free-range by the chickens. On average, almost half of all birds observed indoors were in a sitting posture. However, even when approaching slaughter age, the chickens were agile enough to perch and used some of the variety of items provided for perching, but the quantity of environmental enrichment equipment appeared to be insufficient. Free-range areas generally lacked sufficient vegetation cover or artificial shelters, and chickens were predominantly observed ranging near the house. Further research should explore feasible ways for farmers to make key improvements to the indoor and outdoor environment, in order to improve broiler welfare.

Beef and lamb meat production is associated with important cultural, economic and environmental impacts in most countries worldwide. However, it is also related with sustainability challenges. To enable cattle and sheep farming to develop in line with sustainability, existing knowledge need to be implemented and identified knowledge gaps filled. The purpose of this article was to systematically map the scientific literature on environmental, economic and social sustainability at farm-level beef and lamb meat production to identify knowledge gaps and to point to important future actions and areas of research. Papers published January 2000–August 2020 with a geographical origin in Europe, Northern America, and Australia-New Zealand were included. The systematic literature search resulted in a total of 1355 hits; however, after removing papers which were considered out of the scope of the study, and duplicate papers, only 22 and 11 papers related to beef and sheep farming, respectively were retained for further analysis. Of these, only 11 in total included all three sustainability dimensions. Several papers only mentioned one or two of the sustainability dimensions or put them in relation to that/those main dimension covered, thus limiting the extent to which possible synergies or tradeoffs between different sustainability aspects actually can be studied. This indicates a need for a more comprehensive approach when studying farm-level sustainability. Future research would benefit from a more holistic approach and include all dimensions of sustainability within the same study. Further, focus should also be on how to measure and assess sustainability aspects in a standardized way.

Slower-growing broilers on organic farms have replaced fast-growing hybrids to increase bird welfare. Due to limited knowledge of broiler welfare and management on organic farms in Sweden, the study aim was to gather information regarding health, housing and management routines, in order to describe the current situation on these. Farm visits performed in 2018 included 8 out of 12 established organic farms, on which either Rowan Ranger or HubbardJA57/HubbardJA87 were reared. Chickens in the observed flocks were 55 &plusmn, 6 (44&ndash, 62) days of age. Observations included farmer interviews, indoor environment assessments, clinical examinations and gait scoring. Clinical examinations revealed no severe remarks, however minor to moderate plumage dirtiness, food pad dermatitis and hock burns were found in 47%, 21% and 13% of the birds, respectively. Although no severe walking impairments were observed, minor to moderate gait abnormalities were seen in two-thirds of the birds. Gait in birds assessed outdoors was significantly better than in birds observed indoors. Body weight uniformity was low in all flocks. This study provides increased knowledge of certain chicken health and welfare aspects, housing and management on Swedish organic farms. Future research should further investigate important aspects related to bird welfare, such as the high mortality rates observed.

The sustainability of future finfish aquaculture needs to be improved to meet global environmental challenges. Global fish aquaculture production has expanded significantly recently, due to the increased demand for fish for human consumption. Therefore, it is important to mitigate challenges to the sustainability of the sector, such as pollution and depletion of natural resources. In this study, we systematically mapped the scientific literature on farm-level sustainability in fish aquaculture. The concept of sustainability was considered holistically, covering its economic, environmental and social dimensions, each consisting of a range of different aspects that may contradict or reinforce each other. Literature published between January 2000 and August 2020 with the geographical focus on Europe, Northern America and Australia–New Zealand was included. The search resulted in a total of 287 hits, but after the exclusion of articles that did not match the scope, only 17 papers remained for the systematic mapping. Of these, five papers covered all three dimensions of sustainability. Economic sustainability was addressed in 10 papers, environmental sustainability in 13 papers and social sustainability in 12 papers. This systematic mapping provides an important foundation for discussions and prioritisations of future actions to increase knowledge on farm-level sustainability in finfish aquaculture.

Dairy cows are able to convert fibrous materials, such as grass, roughage, and by-products from the food industry, into milk and meat, which justifies their role in food production. However, modern dairy farming is associated with major sustainability challenges, including greenhouse gas emissions. In order to develop sustainable future production, it is important to implement existing knowledge and fill knowledge gaps. The aim of this study was to systematically map the scientific literature on environmental, economic, and social sustainability at farm level in dairy farming. Literature published between January 2000 and March 2020 and with the geographical focus on Europe, North America, and Australia–New Zealand was included. In total, the literature search resulted in 169 hits, but after removing duplicates and papers outside the study scope only 35 papers remained. Of these, only 11 dealt with the three dimensions of sustainability, and several of these only mentioned one or two of the dimensions or set them in relation to that/those actually studied. Overall, the selected literature did not clearly explain how aspects of sustainability are interlinked, so possible negative or positive interactions between different aspects of sustainability dimensions remain unidentified.

Animal welfare is an important aspect of organic broiler (OB) production which involves e.g. up to twice the rearing period compared with conventional production and feedstuffs without prophylactic additives or synthetic amino acids. As market demand for organic broiler meat increases, the formerly modest OB production in Sweden is now rapidly increasing and research is needed to support this development. It is essential to use genotypes that adapt well to the rearing environment, in order to achieve satisfactory animal welfare. Health problems related to fast growth rate are a common animal welfare issue in modern broilers and this applies to systems with long rearing periods. In this study, the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for poultry was used for assessment of lameness, contact dermatitis, cleanliness, thermal comfort, litter quality and the human-animal relationship in two modern broiler genotypes; the fast-growing Ross 308 (R) and the slower-growing Rowan Ranger (RR). In total, 645 day-old chicks (328 R and 317 RR) were reared until 10 weeks of age, which is the rearing period formerly used in organic production in Sweden, and fed a low-protein (L), high-protein (H) or mussel-meal (M) diet containing 14.5%, 17.0% or 15.6% crude protein, respectively. Broiler welfare was assessed on three occasions (at weeks 2, 6 and 9). The results showed rapid deterioration in welfare for fast-growing broilers when kept beyond 6 weeks. Mortality rate and incidence of lameness and contact dermatitis increased and litter quality, thermal comfort and plumage cleanliness decreased. Indications of poor welfare were also observed in the slower-growing hybrid, but to a lesser extent and later during rearing. Diet type only had minor effects on bird welfare, although R birds grew faster on the M diet. Thus the slower-growing RR hybrid is preferable to the fast-growing broiler type in production systems with a long rearing period. However, the RR growth rate can be regarded as moderate and, to avoid health problems related to fast growth rate, hybrids that grow even more slowly should be considered for OB production systems with a long rearing period.

The sustainability of future poultry production needs to be improved in order to meet global challenges. The global chicken population has expanded significantly in recent decades, due to increased human demand for eggs and chicken meat. Therefore, it is critically important to mitigate challenges to the sustainability of modern poultry production, such as pollution, the depletion of finite natural resources and animal welfare issues. This study systematically mapped the scientific literature on farm-level sustainability in egg and chicken meat production. The concept of sustainability was considered holistically, covering its economic, environmental and social dimensions, each consisting of a broad range of different aspects that may contradict or reinforce each other. The literature published between January 2000 and March 2020 with a geographical focus on Europe, North America and Australia–New Zealand, were included. The literature search resulted in a total of 428 hits, but after the exclusion of articles that did not match the scope of the study, only 26 papers remained for the systematic mapping. Of these, only three papers covered all three dimensions of sustainability. Aspects of economic sustainability were addressed in 10 papers, aspects of environmental sustainability in 18 papers, and aspects of social sustainability in 23 papers. The findings in this study are an important foundation for the discussion and prioritisation of future actions to increase knowledge of farm-level sustainability in egg and chicken meat production.

Perching is important for broiler welfare, however, hampered by body weight. In a mixed flock, resting behaviour and location were compared between three broiler hybrids (Rowan Ranger, Hubbard CYJA...

Feather-pecking and cannibalism may reduce the potential of organic husbandry to enhance the welfare of laying hens. We report risk factors for these issues based on a large survey of 107 commercial flocks in eight European countries. Information was collected regarding housing, management and flock characteristics (age, genotype). Near the end of lay, 50 hens per flock were assessed for plumage condition and wounds. Potential influencing factors were screened and submitted to a multivariate model. The majority of the flocks (81%) consisted of brown genotypes and were found in six countries. Since white genotypes (19%) were found only in the two Scandinavian countries, a country effect could not be excluded. Therefore, separate models were made for brown and white genotypes. Feather damage in brown hens could be explained by a model containing a lower dietary protein content and no daily access to the free range (30% of the variation explained). For feather damage in white hens, no model could be made. Wounds in brown hens were associated with not having daily access to free range (14% of the variation explained). Wounds in white hens were explained by a model containing not topping-up litter during the laying period (26% of the variation explained). These results suggest that better feeding management, daily access to the free-range area and improved litter management may reduce incidence of plumage damage and associated injurious pecking, hence enhancing the welfare of organic laying hens. Since this was an epidemiological study, further experimental studies are needed to investigate the causal relationships.

Sow litter sizes have increased recently, and there is a lack of data on the effect of litter size on sow health and sow medical treatment. This study investigated associations between litter size and medical treatment of sows, using data for a 10-year period from one Swedish research farm. The data comprised 1947 litters from 655 Yorkshire sows. Association between litter size and medical treatment of sows during farrowing and lactation investigated using a multivariable multilevel logistic regression model. We found that odds of medical treatment of sows decreased for each additional piglet born up to five piglets (odds ratio 0.50, p = .002). For litter sizes >= 5, the odds for each additional piglet born (odds ratio 1.11, p < .001). Problems with milk let-down in early lactation were the main reason for treatment. Results imply that sows with very small or very large litters may be less profitable.

We systematically mapped the scientific literature on the sustainability of pig production at farm-level. Sustainability was considered holistically, covering its economic, environmental, and social dimensions, each consisting of a broad range of different aspects that may contradict or reinforce each other. Literature published between January 2000 and March 2020 with a geographical focus on Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand was included. A standard template with predefined keywords was used to summarise aspects of each sustainability dimension covered in identified papers. We found that papers analysing environmental sustainability were more frequent than papers analysing economic or social sustainability. However, there are many different aspects within each dimension of sustainability, hampering comparisons between studies. In addition, each dimension of sustainability has many sides, making it difficult to compare different studies, and different dimensions and aspects may have complex interrelations. Our systematic literature review revealed that these interrelations are not well understood and that possible trade-offs or synergies between different aspects of sustainability dimensions remain unidentified. This systematic mapping of the current literature on farm-level sustainability in pig production can support a more informed discussion on knowledge gaps and help prioritise future research at farm-level to enhance sustainability in pig production.

The EU regulation for organic pig production requires outdoor access to promote the animal welfare. This may increase the risk of infection of the common pig parasites, Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis, because their eggs can survive for many years in the soil. The egg contamination of these parasites in outdoor areas with different managements and the faecal egg output from the pigs was investigated on 11 Swedish organic pig farms in 2008. We found eggs of A. suum and, to a minor extent, T. suis in the soil from outdoor areas, which had previously been used for pig rearing and/or for spreading of pig manure. Piglets and their dams were turned out on pastures included in a crop rotation, and these areas had a mean of 2500 A. suum and 40 T. suis eggs per kilogram soil. When the pigs were 12-week-old, the faecal egg counts (FECs) of A. suum were positively correlated with the egg concentration in pasture soils before pig turnout. The areas used by dry sows had a mean of 11,700 A. suum and 220 T. suis eggs per kilogram soil. The highest egg concentrations in the soil were found in areas, frequently used by pigs in the most recent years. To minimise pasture contamination with parasite eggs, it is advised to have a crop rotation system and to inactivate parasite eggs in pig manure before spreading it. Parasite control needs further development to protect suckling piglets from infections due to environmental parasite egg contamination. © 2019, The Author(s). Funding details: 1904; Funding details: Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine, CORE; Funding text 1: The authors gratefully acknowledge the farmers for supplying data and opening up their farms for investigation and the funders for their financial support. This study comprises data from two different projects. Soil samples and crop rotation data were collected within a national project funded by the Swedish Board of Agriculture and faecal samples, and some farm data were collected within the COREPIG project (project no. 1904), one of the eight research projects selected for transnational funding by the partners of the CORE Organic ERA-net project (Sweden: Formas). We also wish to thank Sofia Wiberg for collecting samples and data within the latter project.

This study compared behavioural time budgets, presence of comfort behaviours and social behaviours in two different broiler genotypes (the fast-growing Ross 308 (R) and the slower-growing Rowan Ranger (RR)) fed organic diets with high (17.0% crude protein (CP)) or low (14.5% CP) protein content during a 10-week rearing period. 429-day-old chicks (218 R and 211 RR, respectively) were included in the study and behaviour was recorded at 2, 6 and 9 weeks of age. The results showed no effect of diet treatments but that R broilers were less active and sat, ate and drank more frequently than RR broilers, which stood and perched more frequently. However, both hybrids showed decreasing activity and foraging behaviour with increasing age, while time spent eating and sleeping was approximately similar over the entire rearing period.

Keel bone damage (KBD) in laying hens is an important welfare problem in both conventional and organic egg production systems. We aimed to identify possible risk factors for KBD in organic hens by analysing cross-sectional data of 107 flocks assessed in eight European countries. Due to partly missing data, the final multiple regression model was based on data from 50 flocks. Keel bone damage included fractures and/or deviations, and was recorded, alongside with other animal based measures, by palpation and visual inspection of at least 50 randomly collected hens per flock between 52 and 73 weeks of age. Management and housing data were obtained by interviews, inspection and by feed analysis. Keel bone damage flock prevalences ranged from 3% to 88%. Compiled on the basis of literature and practical experience, 26 potential associative factors of KBD went into an univariable selection by Spearman correlation analysis or Mann–Whitney U test (with P

The FreeBirds project aims to generate more insight into the relationship between organic chickens’ free-range use and bird health, welfare and performance, as well as soil nutrient load. One completed study of the project compared the range use, welfare and performance of Dekalb White (DW) and Bovans’ Brown (BB) laying hens on an experimental setting simulating organic on-farm conditions. Six hundred non-beak-trimmed hens of each hybrid (N = 1200) were housed in groups of 100, from 17 to 38 weeks of age, in 12 pens according to EU requirements for organic egg production. Indoor pens measured 4.5 × 4.5 m. Each pen provided 12 nest boxes and 18 cm/hen of elevated perch length. Wood shavings was provided as litter and the indoor net stocking density was 5.1 hens/m2. The outdoor range for each pen measured 4.5 × 90 m, providing an outdoor density of 4 m2/hen. The ground on the outdoor range had grass covering but no trees; shelter was available in the form of four 10-meter long tarps running along the length of the range at 10-meter intervals. Feed and water were provided ad-lib indoor and maize silage and/or carrots was provided as roughage under the first shelter of the outdoor range three times a week. Live observations of range use were carried out weekly, recording the number of hens outdoors and their distance from the pophole. Furthermore, assessment of plumage condition, as part of a welfare assessment protocol, was performed by four observers on all hens at 17 and 38 weeks of age. Preliminary statistical analysis were carried out in the software SAS using mixed models. The models included the fixed factors hybrid and age and the random factors pen and observer. Tukey test was used for post hoc testing. The range use in week 38 showed that while the total number of hens observed outside did not vary with hybrid, DW used shelters more than BB (mean ± SD: 15.1 ± 12.1 hens vs. 10.8 ± 7.5 hens; p = 0.002). Furthermore, BB ranged further away from the house than DW (mean ± SD: 4.47 ± 5.34 BB hens observed > 60 m away from the pophole vs. 1.23 ± 2.61 DW hens observed > 60 m away from pophole; p < 0.0001). Regarding plumage condition, there was an interaction of hybrid and age: while both hybrids had lower scores, (i.e. better plumage condition) at 17 weeks compared to 38 weeks of age (p < 0.001), BB had better plumage condition than DW at each time point (p < 0.001; lsmeans plumage score ± SE: BB17 = 0.98 ± 0.29; DW17 = 1.37 ± 0.29; BB38 = 4.2 ± 0.29; DW38 = 5.8 ± 0.29). These preliminary results indicate that DW are less explorative/more fearful compared to BB and highlights the need for breed-specific management such as greater shelter provision for DW. This, combined with the better plumage condition of BB, suggests that BB is a breed more robust to the environment of organic production compared to DW hens.

To describe a more sustainable food sector, a supply chain approach is needed. Changing a supply chain inevitably means that various attributes of the product and its system will change. This project assumed this challenge and delivered detailed descriptions, life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluations, and consequence assessments of the supply chains of six commodities, i.e., milk, cheese, beef, pork, chicken, and bread, from a Swedish region. This paper presents results for the pork supply chain. In the project setup, experts on production along supply chains designed three scenarios for environmentally improved systems. These scenarios, i.e., the ecosystem, plant nutrients, and climate scenarios, were intended to address different clusters of environmental goals. The next step was to challenge these scenarios by considering their possible consequences for products and systems from the food safety, sensory quality, animal welfare, consumer appreciation, and (for primary production only) cost perspectives. This led to changes in production system design to prevent negative consequences. The final supply chains were quantified using LCA and were again assessed from the three perspectives. The scenario design approach worked well, thoroughly and credibly describing the production systems. Assessment of consequences bolstered the credibility and quality of the systems and results. The LCA of pig production and smoked ham identified large potentials for improvement by implementing available knowledge: global warming potential (GWP) could be reduced 21–54 % and marine eutrophication by 14–45 %. The main reason for these improvements was improved productivity (approaching the best producers’ current performance), though dedicated measures were also important, resulting in increased nitrogen efficiency, more varied crop rotations for crop production and better production management, and improved animal health and manure management for animal production. Reduced post-farm wastage contributed as did reduced emissions from fertilizer production. The working approach applied was successful in integrating LCA research with food system production expertise to deliver results relevant to supply chain decision-makers. The consequence assessments brought considerable value to the project, giving its results greater credibility. By introducing constraints in the form of “no negative consequences and no increased costs,” the work was “guided” so that the scenario design avoided being hampered by too many opportunities.

International audience; AbstractCurrent organic agriculture performs well in several sustainability domains, like animal welfare, farm profitability and low pesticide use, but yields are commonly lower than in conventional farming. There is now a re-vitalized interest in increasing yields in organic agriculture to provide more organic food for a growing, more affluent population and reduce negative impacts per unit produced. However, past yield increases have been accompanied by several negative side-effects. Here, we review risks and opportunities related to a broad range of sustainability domains associated with increasing yields in organic agriculture in the Northern European context. We identify increased N input, weed, disease and pest control, improved livestock feeding, breeding for higher yields and reduced losses as the main measures for yield increases. We review the implications of their implementation for biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses, soil fertility, animal health and welfare, human nutrition and health and farm profitability. Our findings from this first-of-its-kind integrated analysis reveal which strategies for increasing yields are unlikely to produce negative side-effects and therefore should be a high priority, and which strategies need to be implemented with great attention to trade-offs. For example, increased N inputs in cropping carry many risks and few opportunities, whereas there are many risk-free opportunities for improved pest control through the management of ecosystem services. For most yield increasing strategies, both risks and opportunities arise, and the actual effect depends on management including active mitigation of side-effects. Our review shows that, to be a driving force for increased food system sustainability, organic agriculture may need to reconsider certain fundamental principles. Novel plant nutrient sources, including increased nutrient recycling in society, and in some cases mineral nitrogen fertilisers from renewable sources, and truly alternative animal production systems may need to be developed and accepted.

International audience; This review summarises existing evidence on the impact of organic food on human health. It compares organic vs. conventional food production with respect to parameters important to human health and discusses the potential impact of organic management practices with an emphasis on EU conditions. Organic food consumption may reduce the risk of allergic disease and of overweight and obesity, but the evidence is not conclusive due to likely residual confounding, as consumers of organic food tend to have healthier lifestyles overall. However, animal experiments suggest that identically composed feed from organic or conventional production impacts in different ways on growth and development. In organic agriculture, the use of pesticides is restricted, while residues in conventional fruits and vegetables constitute the main source of human pesticide exposures. Epidemiological studies have reported adverse effects of certain pesticides on children's cognitive development at current levels of exposure, but these data have so far not been applied in formal risk assessments of individual pesticides. Differences in the composition between organic and conventional crops are limited, such as a modestly higher content of phenolic compounds in organic fruit and vegetables, and likely also a lower content of cadmium in organic cereal crops. Organic dairy products, and perhaps also meats, have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids compared to conventional products. However, these differences are likely of marginal nutritional significance. Of greater concern is the prevalent use of antibiotics in conventional animal production as a key driver of antibiotic resistance in society; antibiotic use is less intensive in organic production. Overall, this review emphasises several documented and likely human health benefits associated with organic food production, and application of such production methods is likely to be beneficial within conventional agriculture, e.g., in integrated pest management.

Organic poultry meat production in Sweden is characterized by diets based on organic and locally produced feedstuffs, roughage allowance, a long rearing period (>10 weeks), outdoor access for the birds, and ban of synthetic amino acids and prophylactic use of antibiotics and anthelmintic. Until recently, the main hybrids used in organic broiler chicken production in Sweden were the same as used in conventional broiler chicken production. These birds are bred to reach market weight at 5 to 6 weeks on a high-protein quality nonorganic diet. In this study, organic high- and low- protein diets were fed to fast- and slower-growing hybrid broiler chickens with 5 pens per genotype × diet treatment and 21 to 22 broiler chickens per pen. Weight gain, feed conversion, health, and mortality were recorded during a 71-day rearing period. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew faster (55.4 ± 0.7 versus 38.3 ± 0.5 g/day, P = 0.001) and had a better feed conversion ratio (2.6 ± 0.1 versus 2.9 ± 0.1 kg feed/kg body weight, P = 0.001) than the slower-growing hybrid birds. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew slower when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (55.3 ± 0.5 versus 57.8 ± 1.4 g/day, P = 0.050), while the slower- growing hybrid birds grew faster when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (39.4 ± 0.7 and 37.2 ± 0.4 g/day, P = 0.038). A higher proportion of fast- compared to slower-growing hybrid birds had sticky droppings at 1 week of age (18.8 ± 1.6 versus 3.8 ± 1.6%, P = 0.001) and were culled because of leg weakness during the 10-week rearing period (10.0 ± 2.0 versus 3.3 ± 2.0%, P = 0.031), indicating poorer welfare among fast-growing hybrid birds when reared for 10 weeks on organic diets.

Background Sows’ ability to produce an excessive amount of piglets has shaped modern piglet production and there has been a steady increase in litter size during the last decades. This development has caused some negative side-effects, such as an increase in the proportion of stillborn piglets, a decrease in the proportion of weaned piglets and a larger variation in quality of piglets. Swedish commercial piglet producing herds have, like other countries with high production levels, high piglet mortality and high annual removal rate of gilts and sow. These problems seem to have increased during the same period that litter sizes have increased. Therefore present study aim to investigate whether there is an association between litter sizes and sow stayability. Results The probability to produce ≥4 litters during a lifetime was significantly lower for sows giving birth to ≤8, 15 and ≥17 piglets in total in their first parity litter compared to sows giving birth to 13 piglets. Except for the group of sows having a small (≤11 piglets born in total) first parity litter size in combination with a medium (12–14 piglets born in total) second parity litter size, all other groups were significantly associated with an impaired ability to stay ≥4 litters compared to sows having a medium both first and second parity litter size. There were differences in removal reason between sows having small, medium or large first parities litter sizes. Conclusions Associations between litter sizes in low parities and sow stayability were found. Our results indicate that aiming for keeping sows giving birth to a medium-sized litter, with approximately 12–14 piglets born in total may improve sows stayability and decrease the risk of unplanned removal. This should be considered when planning breeding strategy and annual removal in Swedish commercial piglets producing herds.

In this paper we analyse and discuss the views of Swedish stakeholders on how to mitigate climate change to the extent it is caused by meat production. The stakeholders include meat producer organisations, governmental agencies with direct influence on meat production, political parties as well as non-governmental organisations. Representatives of twelve organisations were interviewed. Several organisations argued against the mitigation option of reducing beef production despite the higher greenhouse gas intensity of beef compared to pork and chicken meat (according to life cycle analysis). Regarding feed production some organisations proposed use of the best available industrial fertilizers, others were against all use of such fertilizers. Several organizations suggested domestic production of more protein-rich fodder and use of manure for biogas production. Regarding meat consumption the focus was on throwing away less food as waste and on eating less meat but the best (most climate friendly) meat, which was considered to be Swedish meat in contrast to imported meat. There was agreement on many issues. Most disagreement was found regarding political steering. We find many of the stakeholders’ mitigation proposals regarding meat production and consumption acceptable. However, we are to some extent critical to their defence of Swedish beef production. We also point out certain problems with the suggestion to reduce consumption of imported meat but not of domestically produced meat.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential for the development of the nervous system in animals, and increased concentration of n−3 PUFA in maternal diet improves the cognitive development of mammalian foetuses. In this study the effect of maternal diet fatty acid composition in pigs on the development of the central nervous system, monitored as behaviour of piglets, was investigated using three behavioural tests: recognition of the mother's faeces, back test, and hidden door test. Twenty-seven multiparous Yorkshire sows were split into four groups and fed diets with different content of fat and PUFA throughout pregnancy and lactation. LF ( n = 6) was fed a standard diet, HFS ( n = 4) a high fat and low PUFA diet, HFO ( n = 7) a high n−6 PUFA diet, and HFL ( n = 10) a high n−3 PUFA diet. Three behavioural tests were performed on 5–7 randomly chosen piglets per litter ( n = 167). Recognition of the mother's faeces was tested in a maze two days after birth. Back test was performed twice (2–4 d and 4 w) and a hidden door test was performed at 4 w. In addition, the brain content of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n−3, DHA) of the newborn piglets was determined in treatment groups. Data from the tests were analysed with linear mixed models for each of the tests. Piglets from HFL treatment had significantly higher content of DHA ( P P P P = 0.030). No significant effect of sow diet was found on piglet performance in the hidden door test, but intermediate piglets weighing 1410–1619 g had a lower probability of success in hidden door test than piglets weighing P = 0.028), and ≥ 1875 g ( P = 0.027), respectively. It was found that sow diet influenced the DHA content in the piglet brains, but there was no clear effect of sow diet on piglet behaviour. In order to draw any conclusions about possible enhancements of the behavioural development of the piglet more studies need to be performed.

The effect of early exposure of pullets to natural light may have an effect on the later preference for light type and on the behaviour of birds after being transferred to laying facilities. Our aim was to study the light-type preference of 14-week pullets reared in either incandescent or natural light. From day-old, a total of 84 LSL chicks were subjected to two light treatments with six groups of seven birds each: 8 h incandescent light + 16 h darkness (I8), and 8 h natural light + 16 h darkness (N8). At the age of 14 weeks, the birds’ light-type preference was tested. Behaviour was recorded at the group level and analysed by a linear mixed model. Predicted mean proportion of birds that chose natural light was 0.36 in N8 and 0.13 in I8 groups. I8 groups showed a preference for incandescent light, in contrast to N8. These results support the notion that pullets for organic egg production shall be reared with access to natural light.

Not much is known about the effect of light sources on behavioural development of laying hens. The effect of natural and artificial light, respectively, on feeding and perching of layers was studied. 126-day-old chicks were divided into 1) A8: 8h artificial light+16h darkness, 2) A16: 16h artificial light+8h darkness, 3) N8: 8h daylight+16h darkness. A8 and N8 birds did not differ in their feeding behaviour, whereas the mean proportion of A16 birds feeding was 0.056 lower than in A8 birds in daytime (P

Helminths are associated with health- and welfare problems in organic laying hens. The present observational cross-sectional study therefore aimed to estimate the prevalence and worm burdens of intestinal helminths in organic flocks of laying hens in 8 European countries, and to identify management factors that might be associated with helminth infections, with emphasis on Ascaridia galli. Data on flock-level management factors (e.g. nutritional factors, litter quality, housing system, opening- and closing hours of popholes, pasture rotation and provision of occupational materials) were collected during a farm visit when the hens were on average 62 weeks old. Worm counts were performed for 892 hens from 55 flocks and the number of ascarid (presumably primarily A. galli) eggs per g faeces (EPG) for 881 hens from 54 flocks. The association between parasitological parameters (prevalence, worm burden and EPG) and the management factors were analysed by multivariate models. Results showed that A. galli was highly prevalent across Europe with an overall mean prevalence of 69.5% and mean worm burden of 10 worms per hen. The overall mean prevalence and worm burden for Heterakis spp. were 29.0% and 16 worms per hen, respectively, with a large variation between countries. On average, the hens excreted 576 ascarid EPG. The mean prevalence of Raillietina spp. was 13.6%. A positive correlation was found between mean A. galli worm burden and ascarid EPG. Of the analysed management factors, only pasture access time had a significant negative association with A. galli worm burden which was in contrast to the general belief that outdoor access may increase the risk of helminth infections in production animals. In conclusion, the complexity of on-farm transmission dynamics is thus a challenge when evaluating the relative importance of management factors in relation to helminth infections.