LIVESTOCK - Free range & free roaming pig farming

34 Small FARMS June 2008

By Mike Harvey

Pigs are intelligent socialanimals that form closebonds with their offspringand other pigs in the herd,they are foragers by nature,can protect themselves fromthe elements, build nests togive birth and are excellentcommunicators.But, according to the Free

Range Pork Farmers Associa-tion (FRPFA) pigs need thefree range opportunity to ex-press these natural behav-iours.The FRPFA aims to en-

courage pig producers whooperate the old-fashionedway of raising their pigs onpasture.Free range pig producer

Fiona Chambers, FernleighFree Range, Bullarto, nearDaylesford, Victoria, saidFRPFA members producefree range pork from pigsthat are managed with thewelfare of animals and theenvironment in mind.The free range, free roam-

ing, pasture raised FRPFAprinciples include the free-dom to graze pasture duringthe day, to experience sun-shine, wind and rain, to ac-cess clean fresh water andgood feed and to express in-stinctive behavior.FRPFA member pigs will

be free of pain, discomfort,fear and distress, protectedfrom predators, able to nur-ture their young without therestrictions of farrowingcrates and be free from hor-mones, growth promotantsand antibiotics.Nicholas and Fiona Cham-bers and their family runtheir Wessex Saddleback freerange pigs and Shropshiresheep, with an organic veg-etable operation, on 40hectares (100 acres) in themiddle of the Wombat State

Forest only 60 minutes driveto Melbourne.The Wessex Saddleback, a

traditional and now endan-gered pig breed, were intro-duced to their farm in 1995.We wanted to grow ourown meat as there was nofree range pork commerciallyavailable at that time, Fionasaid.It was completely by acci-

dent that we came across theWessex Saddleback breedand discovered how endan-gered they had become.We soon came to love the

breeds placid temperamentas well as their mothering,milking and farrowing abil-ity, resistance to sunburn andlove of the outdoor..and ofcourse the flavor of themeat, she said.The Chambers family now

run 40 registered purebredWessex Saddleback sowswhich is 40 percent of thetotal breed sow populationin the world.There were only 5 breed-

ers and 75 Wessex Saddle-back sows in the world in2003 but enthusiastic andnew breeders have liftednumbers to 12 producersand 100 head, she said.Were having fun, eating

well and keeping the breedalive.But there is a need to makea return from the pigs somarketing of free range or-ganic pork is a critical eco-nomic factor otherwise theoperation becomes an ex-pensive hobby.Its consistent and persist-

ent work made easier by thetaste of the Wessex Saddle-back rare breed, free rangemeat, she said.The Chambers have been

using farmers markets forfive years to sell their Fern-leigh free range cryovacpacked pork.

Give pigs enoughoutdoor space

Free range pig producer Fiona Chambers picturedwith some of her purebred Wessex Saddlebackpigs.

A Wessex Saddleback sow with piglets roams freelyin a large paddock.

They offer a range of spe-cialty cuts including shoul-der and leg roasts, bacon,ham, salami, fillets, tails,tongue, ears and trotters.We have a nose to tail,whole beast sales philoso-phy, Fiona saidMeat production focused

around only the prime cutsis unsustainable, but withpigs we can market every-thing except the squeal andthere is very little wastage,Fiona said.But she said there are pit-

falls, like all forms of live-stock production, in freerange pig production includ-ing extra labor requirements,the impact of the elementsand slower growth rates.The natural way for a pig tolive is outdoors with grassunder its feet, and the sun onits back and this outdoor ac-cess is fundamental to thefree range system of porkproduction.The pigs are still commer-

cially produced, farmed inlarge numbers and destinedfor the oven, but they havemore space, and lead morenatural, longer lives and evenwhen they choose to be in-side, they have more space,and an enriched environ-ment.Pigs are sociable, curious

creatures. They like to range,they love to rest in shadedareas and they have a strongbond with their herd andwill protect not only theirown young, but all piglets intheir group.Free range pork does cost

more to produce so it willcost a little more to buy butconsumers can influencehow pigs are farmed simplyby the decision made whenpork is purchased.Its consumers every day

buying decisions that deter-mine how the animals willlive, Fiona said.In 1960 there were 49,537

pork producers in Australiaand most of them wouldhave been free range. By2004 there were only 1999producers but sow numbers

had increased by over 50percent and 95 percent ofpigs were raised in intensivesheds.Fiona Chambers says that

the bred free range categoryis a step in the right directionbut there is currently no de-fined standard to say exactlywhat bred free range andto what degree growing pigsare allowed outdoor access.Only the sow is free range,not the pork produced fromher piglets, she said.Free range pigs should have

enough outdoor space to ex-press their natural behaviorsuch as digging, playing,wallowing, eating grass andinteracting with other pigs.I think this right should

apply to piglets grown for

meat, not just their moth-ers, Fiona said.There is also a misconcep-

tion that the Royal Societyfor the Prevention of Crueltyto Animals Accreditationonly supports free rangefarms but this is not the case.RSPCA concentrates on theanimal welfare standards pigsare bred, reared, transportedand slaughtered under, notthe method of housing itself.They do not make a dis-

tinction between bred freerange and free range or in-door group housing in theiraccreditation standards.Certified Organic Pork is

true free range pork and the

requirements include addedrestrictions on the sort offeed, paddock and animaltreatments allowed.Certified organic and cer-

tified free range are similar inthe high standards set for anatural environment for thepigs to live. So whenever yousee certified organic pork itis also genuinely free range.Organic pigs must have

daily access to pasture, be fedat least 95 percent certifiedorganic feed with no artifi-cial additives or antibiotics,piglets are not weaned beforesix weeks of age, there is notail docking or teeth clippingand castration and remov-

LIVESTOCK - Free range & free roaming pig farming

Small FARMS 35June 2008

The Wessex Saddleback is classified as an endan-gered pig breed.

36 Small FARMS June 2008

able nose rings are generallynot allowed.Vaccination is not encour-

aged, farrowing stalls andcrates are not allowed, onlynatural dewormers and treat-ments can be used.While an-tibiotics can be administeredto sick or injured animals,their use excludes the treatedanimal from being organic.There are requirements for

full traceability of animalsfrom birth to table, thewhole farm should be man-aged organically withoutherbicides, pesticides orchemical fertilizers and farminspections happen at leastonce of year. Pig producersdo not have to be certified tobe organic but certification isconsumers guarantee of anauthentic product.Fiona Chambers said the

interest in free range pig pro-duction was continuing togrowIn the past 15 years I haveoffered advice to potentialproducers and in the last fewyears there have been endlessphone calls that have turnedan advice service into a jobrather than a hobby, shesaid.I receive daily enquiries

from people looking to buyor sell everything from a sin-gle pig through to estab-lished pig producersthinking of converting from

intensive production to freerange.Due to disease considera-

tions its difficult to visit apiggery so there are few av-enues for beginners to learnthe practical side of the pigindustry, she said.The phone calls and lack ofpractical training optionsprompted Fiona Chambers

to introduce a Pig Day Outprogram at Fernleighwhere visitors can gain prac-tical hands-on pig experienceand advice including han-dling, feeding, ear notching,recording, breeding, hooftrimming and vaccination.

A trial Pig Day Out at-tracted 6 visitors and a fullscale version will be con-ducted on June 22.

Contact: Fiona Cham-bers, 03 5348 5566, email:organic@fernleighfarms.com

LIVESTOCK - Free range & free roaming pig farming

TheWessex Saddleback is known for its placid tem-perament, mothering, milking and farrowing ability.