Pigs grazing: animals' ability to optimize the use of forage, pasture management, and work organization

Since 2021, the organic pork sector has been in turmoil: excess production, declining consumption, and rising feed costs. Despite being monogastric, pigs have the ability to consume forage. The CASDAR VALORAGE project focused on the implementation of grazing for feeding purposes, aiming to reduce purchased concentrate, from an economic and sustainable perspective. A trial was conducted on a pilot commercial farm, with finishing pigs in a system inspired by dynamic rotational grazing. The vegetation cover (floral diversity, biomass produced) and the animals (performances, behavior) were regularly characterized. The results demonstrated a complex management of grazing in practice, requiring adaptation to the physiological stage of plants and their growth rate, as well as the acquisition of new benchmarks. Technically, grazing decreased growth rate and carcass fatness and had positive effects on animal behavior. In conclusion, this innovative practice could combine several positive effects: savings on inputs, improved animal welfare, better carcass leanness, and a positive societal perception of organic pig farming.