Ackerschweine: Securing ground water protection of an animal-friendly pig husbandry system

The development of innovative husbandry systems for pig farms in Austria is gaining importance against the backdrop of growing interest in animal welfare among consumers and, in particular, farmers. In this context, raising pigs under conditions that are as close to nature as possible (e.g., as part of crop rotation in the field) is a top priority. However, challenges often arise during the development and implementation of animal-welfare-promoting husbandry systems, such as ensuring compliance with legal requirements, including groundwater protection. The “Ackerschweine” project aims to create the conditions for implementing an innovative form of pig husbandry on arable land. This rearing system involves keeping pigs on unpaved farmland, with part of the area available to the animals covered by temporary tents. The nutrients excreted by the animals are to be bound by large amounts of bedding and subsequently applied in a controlled manner as farm manure on the farm’s arable land. The project is to be carried out in two phases. At the outset (Phase 1), the goal is, in particular, to develop the groundwater protection requirements for this rearing method to ensure that there is no increased nitrate leaching into the groundwater. Through (i) preliminary trials on paved surfaces (WP 2.2), (ii) Studies of the sorption capacity of various bedding materials (WP 2.4) and (iii) modeling of excreta production, substance quantities, and their dynamics under different environmental conditions and stocking densities (WP 2.3) will provide the basic prerequisites for ensuring the minimization of nutrient input into the soil. In the second project phase, the optimized systems will be implemented on pilot farms (WP 2.5), and sustainable groundwater protection will be validated through accompanying monitoring of nitrogen dynamics (WP 2.6). Through the established pilot systems on farmland, interested pig farmers will be informed about the prerequisites and management requirements for the “farmland pigs” system. Furthermore, thanks to scientific monitoring, material flows will be documented in the context of a “sustainable circular economy that safeguards groundwater quality.” The project will result in a comprehensive guide for establishing the “field-raised pigs” farming system as an alternative, animal-welfare-promoting system while simultaneously ensuring compliance with groundwater regulations in Austria.