Effect of nose ringing and stocking rate of pregnant and lactating outdoor sows on exploratory behaviour, grass cover and nutrient loss potential

Combined production of free-range pigs and energy crops—animal behaviour and crop damages

“…'Soil rooted' used the same scale and was estimated for each zone except for the feeding area. Table 1 Definitions of the behavioural elements recorded by scan samples except for excretory behaviour which was registered by all occurrence sampling (modified after Stern and Andresen (2003) and Eriksen et al (2006a) The same person was responsible for all scorings during both seasons.…”

“…In Denmark, for example, an animal density of 1.4 animal units (AU), corresponding to excretion of 140 kg N per hectare, is allowed. This system has some disadvantages in terms of the creation of nutrient hotspots with associated high risks of nitrate leaching (Eriksen et al, 2002(Eriksen et al, , 2006a due to the uneven deposition of pig urine and faeces and their rooting behaviour which damages the grass cover (Eriksen and Kristensen, 2001;Salomon et al, 2005;Stern and Andresen, 2003;Watson et al, 2003). Although the free-range system has some clear animal welfare benefits compared to indoor housing, the poor provision of shelter from the sun might constitute a threat to the well-being of the pigs in hot seasons (Buckner et al, 1998).…”

Effect of poplar trees on nitrogen and water balance in outdoor pig production – A case study in Denmark

“…However, this does not always result in decreased nitrate leaching, as found in Quintern and Sundrum (2006). Moreover, soil mineral N, hence the risk for nitrate leaching, has been reported as independent of grass cover (Eriksen et al, 2006b), prompting for additional strategies to be investigated.…”

“…The manure excreted by the pigs is unevenly distributed in the paddocks, creating accumulation of N in relatively small areas, so called 'hotspots' (Eriksen et al, 2006a). These hotspots contain substantial amounts of N and a wide range of 137 to 626 kg N ha −1 have been reported, depending on stocking density, animal group and vegetation cover (Eriksen and Kristensen, 2001;Eriksen et al, 2002;Eriksen et al, 2006b;Jørgensen et al, 2018;Williams et al, 2000;Worthington and Danks, 1992). The surplus of N in the soil can potentially be leached, volatilised/denitrified, taken up by plants or built into the soil organic pool, and the prevalence of these pathways largely depends on the local pedo-climatic conditions.…”

“…Grasses are efficient in N uptake due to their fast regrowth after grazing and already developed root system. However, there is a risk of grass cover destruction due to pigs' treading and rooting behaviour (Eriksen et al, 2006b). Partly destroyed grass takes up less N during the main growing season and may exacerbate the situation the following year due to mineralisation of residues in spring (e.g., Pugesgaard et al, 2017).…”