The Stolba family pen for pigs - an analysis of animal behaviour, management, economics and consumers attitude towards housings systems with a high standard of animal welfare.
Abstract
More and more consumers seek products coming from animal-friendly farming systems. Animal welfare is an important criteria for the quality of meat. Requirements of pigs on their environment are best met by the Stolba Family Pen. In the Stolba Family Pen sows and their piglets live together in stable family groups throughout their production. Pigs can show species specific behaviour in this housing system. Besides animal welfare, management and profitability are also important for the practicability of a housing system. The project focused on the following objectives: data on pork production litter handling, control of excretion, design of the exercise yard, management and animal behaviour, man power requirement, survey on consumer demands and acceptance of higher prices, economic efficiency. Investigations over two years have shown the Stolba family pen to be a housing system that offers excellent animal welfare conditions and can be operated economically on commercial farms. The annual work requirement is 38.5 to 62.5 hours per sow depending on the degree of mechanisation. The exercise yard must be cleaned at least every second day and straw and/or other materials must be provided to enable pigs to show exploratory behaviour. During the day pigs spent more than 40% of their time in exploratory behaviour whether in the pen, straw or hay. Pigs did not excrete in the sleeping nests, regardless of season and climate, preferring to defecate in the exercise yard, making it easy to clean out mechanically. Pigs spent 15 % in summer and 10 % in winter in the outside exercise yard which is an indispensable part of the system. Mean litter size per sow was 10.9 piglets born alive, 1.2 live born piglets per litter were lost and 9.8 reached the age of weaning. Each sow had 2.05 litters per year and 20,0 pigs per sow per year reached market weight. Fatteners were grown to a market weight of 120 kg. Mean weight gain was 863 g per day. Food to gain ratio was 2.28. Farmers will only install welfare friendly housing systems if these can be operated economically. The sum of fixed and variable annual costs is 4.254 ¿ per sow, with 41.3 % of total costs due to housing, 38.7 % for feeding, 12.9 % for labour and 6.9 % for other costs. A positive margin of 1.163 to 2.326 ¿ kg-1 live weight can be achieved depending on the market price. A minimum pork price of 1.775 ¿ kg-1 is necessary to make a profit. In Austria, this minimum price can realistically be achieved for high quality pork. Analysis of markets shows that 56 % of the consumers are willing to pay higher prices (+ 34 % of actual market price) for meat which is produced in housing systems with a high standard of animal welfare.
keywords animal welfare
Publikationen
Untersuchungen zum Einfluß der Laufhofgröße und der Witterung auf das Verhalten von Sauen und Ferkeln im Außenklima-Stolba-Familienstall.
Autoren: Wallner, S., Amon, Th., Boxberger, J., Bauer, E., Gallob, M., Schopper, G., Plank, H. Jahr: 1999
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Schweinefleischerzeugung im Stolba-Familienstall - Ermittlung von Kennzahlen von der Erzeugung bis zur Vermarktung und Optimierung des Systems.
Autoren: Amon, Th., Jeremic, D., Gallob, M., Amon, B., Boxberger, J., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O. Jahr: 2001
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Preisakzeptanz für Fleisch, produziert entsprechend den Richtlinien des Stolba-Familienstalls.
Autoren: Meixner, O. Jahr: 2001
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Schweinefleischerzeugung im Stolba-Familienstall: Ermittlung von Kennzahlen von der Erzeugung bis zur Vermarktung und Optimierung des Systems.
Autoren: Amon, TH.; Jeremic, D.; Gallob, M.; Amon, B.; Boxberger, J; Konrad, S.; Essl, A.; Meixner, O. Jahr: 2000
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Schweinefleischerzeugung im Stolba-Familienstall
Autoren: Amon, T., Jeremic, D., Gallob, M., Harrich, K., Bauer, E., Boxberger, J. Jahr: 2001
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Schweine leben einmal anders
Autoren: Jeremic, D., Gallob, M., Amon, B., Amon, Th. Jahr: 2001
Newspaper / Magazine article
The Stolba family pen for Pigs: A New housing system designed for animal welfare
Autoren: Amon, Th., Amon, B., Gallob, M., Jeremic, D., Boxberger, J. Jahr: 2001
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Schweinefleischerzeugung im Stolba-Familienstall - Ermittlung von Kennzahlen von der Erzeugung bis zur Vermarktung und Optimierung des Systems
Autoren: Amon, Th., Amon, B., Kryvoruchko, V., Jeremic, D., Boxberger, J., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O. Jahr: 2002
Chapter in collected volumes
Der Stolba-Familienstall - Kennzahlen des Haltugssystems
Autoren: Amon, Th., Amon, B., Kryvoruchko, V., Jeremic, D., Boxberger J., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O. Jahr: 2002
Newspaper / Magazine article
Schweinefleischerzeugung im Stolba-Familienstall (Teil 1)
Autoren: Amon, Th., Amon, B., Kryvoruchko, V., Jeremic, D., Boxberger J., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O. Jahr: 2002
Newspaper / Magazine article
Verhalten der Schweine im Stolba-Familienstall (Teil 2)
Autoren: Amon, Th., Amon, B., Kryvoruchko, V., Jeremic, D., Boxberger J., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O. Jahr: 2003
Newspaper / Magazine article
Glückliches Familienleben im Schweinestall kann Geld bringen - Untersuchungen über die Wirtschaftlichkeit der Schweinefleischerzeugung im artgerechten Stolba-Familienstall
Autoren: Amon, T., Kryvoruchko, V., Amon, B., Jeremic, D., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O. Jahr: 2003
Newspaper / Magazine article
Der Stolba-Familienstall für Schweine: Tierverhalten, Arbeitsorganisation und Wirtschaftlichkeit der Schweinefleischerzeugung vom Stall bis zum Teller
Autoren: Amon, Th., Kryvoruchko, V., Amon, B., Jeremic, D., Sölkner, J., Konrad, S., Meixner, O Jahr: 2003
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Untersuchung zum Verhalten von Schweinen im Außenklima-Stolba-Familienstall unter Berücksichtigung des Einflusses des Auslaufs und der Witterung
Autoren: Bauer, E. Jahr: 2000
Master / Diploma Thesis
Räumliche Aspekte des Ausscheidungsverhaltens von Schweinen im Stolba-Familienstall sowie Untersuchungen zur Tierverschmutzung
Autoren: Harrich, K. Jahr: 2000
Master / Diploma Thesis
Einfluß verschiedener Einstreu- und Beschäftigungsmaterialien auf das Verhalten von Schweinen sowie auf die Buchten- und Tierverschmutzung im Stolba- Familienstall
Autoren: Gallob, M. Jahr: 2001
Master / Diploma Thesis
Project staff
Barbara Amon
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Barbara Amon
barbara.amon@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.08.1999 - 30.11.2001
Josef Boxberger
O.Univ.Prof.i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Josef Boxberger
josef.boxberger@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.08.1999 - 30.11.2001
Sigurd Konrad
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Sigurd Konrad
sigurd.konrad@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.08.1999 - 30.11.2001
Oliver Meixner
Ao.Univ.Prof. Mag. Dr.rer.soc.oec. Oliver Meixner
oliver.meixner@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73515
Project Staff
01.08.1999 - 30.11.2001
BOKU partners
External partners
Institute of Animal Hausbandry and Animal Welfare
none
partner
_x000D_
none
partner