A plea to implement robustness into a breeding goal: poultry as an example

The combination of breeding for increased production and the intensification of housing conditions have resulted in increased occurrence of behavioral, physiological, and immunological disorders. These disorders affect health and welfare of production animals negatively. For future livestock systems, it is important to consider how to manage and breed production animals. In this paper, we will focus on selective breeding of laying hens. Selective breeding should not only be defined in terms of production, but should also include traits related to animal health and welfare. For this we like to introduce the concept of robustness. The concept of robustness includes individual traits of an animal that are relevant for health and welfare. Improving robustness by selective breeding will increase (or restore) the ability of animals to interact successfully with the environment and thereby to make them more able to adapt to an appropriate husbandry system. Application of robustness into a breeding goal will result in animals with improved health and welfare without affecting their integrity. Therefore, in order to be ethically acceptable, selective breeding in animal production should accept robustness as a breeding goa

Animal breeding in organic farming

After a general introduction into the available breeding techniques for animal breeding and an overview of the organic principles, points for discussion are identified and scenario's for organically accepted breeding methods are discussed

Breeding and feeding for animal health and welfare in organic livestock systems (4th NAHWOA Workshop)

content: Part A: Breeding for animal health and welfare in organic livestock systems Part B: Feeding for animal health and welfare in organic livestock systems Part C: Posters and additional papers The theme of the 4 th NAHWOA Workshop was Breeding and feeding for animal health and welfare in organic livestock systems . According to most organic certification body standards and the current EU legislation, breeding and feeding are the two cornerstones of health and welfare in organic livestock systems. It is apparent form these proceedings that the concept of organic breeds or organic breeding is far from clear and that a lot of work needs to be carried out before 2005, when the current EU derogation allowing sourcing of livestock from conventional breeding systems to organic systems runs out. Similarly, the requirement to feed 100% organic feedstuffs from 2004 onwards makes heavy demands on the development of organic rations for monogastric livestock in particular. These proceedings show that a substantial amount of work is already being carried out to satisfy these requirements, and that some encouraging results are already there. In addition to the thematic papers, these Proceedings also include a paper by Kat Bazeley et al., presented at the third NAHWOA workshop in France in October 2000. Due to an editorial error this paper was left out form the appropriate proceedings. We would like to apologise for this and hope that those who have searched for this reference in the past will now be able to locate it. Also, abstracts of three posters presented both in Wageningen are presented. precise content: Part A: Breeding for animal health and welfare in organic livestock systems W. Nauta: Breeding strategies for organic animal production, an international discussion R. Baumung, J. Sölkner, E. Gierzinger, A.William: Ecological total merit index for an Austrian dual purpose cattle breed D. Endendijk, T. Baars, H. Endendijk: Family breeding at Rivelinohoeve B. Bapst: Swiss experiences on practical cattle breeding strategies for organic dairy herds P. Sørensen :Breeding strategies in poultry for genetic adaptation to the organic environment P. Koene: Animal welfare and genetics in organic farming of layers: the example of cannibalism H.R.C. Kelly, H.M. Browning, A.P. Martins, G.P. Pearce, C. Stopes, S.A. Edwards: Breeding and feeding pigs for organic production G. Rahmann: Breeding goats for organic production in Germany T. BAARS, W. NAUTA: Breeding for race diversity, herd adaptation and harmony of animal build: a breeding concept in organic farming H. Hirt, M. Bestmann, W. Nauta, L. Philipps, H. Spoolder: Discussion report: Breeding for health and welfare Part B: Feeding for animal health and welfare in organic livestock systems B.S.E. Jonsson: Results from the Öjebyn-project. Eleven years of organic production T. Kristensen, S. Struck: Organic dairy cow feeding with emphasis on Danish conditions W.F. Knaus, A. Steinwidder, W. Zollitsch: Energy and protein balance in organic dairy cow nutrition model calculations based on EU regulations B. NIELSEN, S.M. THAMSBORG: Organic beef production with emphasis on feeding and health of dairy bred bull calves Knud Erik Bach Knudsen: Influence of feed and feed structure on disease and welfare of pigs A. SUNDRUM: Managing amino acids in organic pig diets A. Walker, S. Gordon: Nutrition issues in organic poultry systems M. Hovi, A. Sundrum: Discussion report: Feeding for health and welfare Part C: Posters and additional papers K. Bazeley, A. Hibbert, G. Anderson: The measurement of quality of stockmans hip for dairy farm assurance schemes A. Martini, A., Giorgetti, D. Rondina, C. Sargentini, R. Bozzi, M. Moretti, C. Pérez Torrecillas, R. Funghi, M. Lucifero: The Maremmana, a rustic breed ideal for organic production. Experimental experiences G. Smolder:s Growth and development of young stock on organic dairy farms M. Plomp: Feeding of dairy cattle on organic farms in the Netherlands List of Delegate

Animal breeding in organic farming:Discussion paper

It is uncertain whether animals which have been bred for conventional production are capable of optimum performance in organic conditions. In conventional agriculture there is a movement towards maximum control of production conditions in order to optimise animals' yield in intensive production systems. By contrast, organic agriculture is based on natural processes and closed cycles, and takes into account the underlying connections between production factors. Following organic ideology, production capacity should be curtailed by acting in accordance with guiding principles such as naturalness, animal welfare, efficient use of fossil fuels in the farm cycle, and agri-biodiversity (IFOAM, 1994). Organic production should be tied to the land, with farms preferably being self-sufficient mixed farms with closed cycles. An additional point of concern are the reproduction techniques used in conventional breeding. Artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET) are commonplace in conventional animal breeding. But these techniques are 'artificial' and they deprive animals of natural mating behaviour and negatively affect the animals' welfare and integrity. By bringing in animals from conventional agriculture, organic farmers are indirectly making use of these techniques. These and other concerns have led to the project 'Organic breeding: a long way to go', which aims to lay down clear visions and an action plan for an organic breeding system

Organic plant breeding

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. To a major extent, organic farming depends currently on plant and animal varieties that have been bred for non-organic farming and that are often not suited to organic production. This position is inconsistent with a holistic approach to organic agriculture. Organically-bred plant varieties are needed to develop both the potential of organic agriculture and its integrity. A first attempt at developing a concept for organic plant breeding methodology has been proposed. A novel approach to breeding for organic production has also been started. Further development needs a parallel approach to animal breeding for organic systems

Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture

A brief report is given of the 4th Network for Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture (NAWHOA) workshop at Wageningen in the Netherlands, held in March 2001. The workshop focussed on breeding (especially dairy, pigs and poultry) and feeding, as opposed to yield and productivity, with the emphasis on food quality. Feeding was discussed from two angles: feeding for production, and feeding to protect the animal from disease or parasitic infection. A vision of the future was described, in which higher prices are gained for fewer animals, better housed and with a regional approach to breeding, processing and marketing

Management of broodstock and quality control of fish seed in Hungary

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) breeding has a long tradition in Hungary. However, recent economic changes in Eastern Europe and new developments in aquaculture necessitated the need for ensuring quality of the brood stock used in hatcheries and the legal and institutional frameworks needed to implement the program. In addition to good research and development programs and gene banking, it became essential to establish an appropriate legal framework, organize, coordinate and control breeding activities, and provide financial support. It was a major breakthrough for carp breeding when C.carpio was recognized as one of the cultivated animals in the Animal Breeding Act in 1993. The Carp Breeding Section of the Hungarian Fish Producers Association plays an important role in carp breeding programs. Thirteen breeding farms of the Carp Breeding Section have 24 certified C.carpio varieties. In Hungary, about 80 % of the seed used as stocking for commercial production are from high quality certified breeders

On farm organic dairy sheep and goat breeding in Germany

In the period from 1992 to 1998 the fat and protein yield of both flocks could be increased. A specific breeding strategy had an important contribution to the increase but the environmental impacts on animal productivity is enormous (e.g. the very wet summer season 1994). A wrong decision in breeding bucks (dairy sheep in 1992-1994) had an negative effect on the productivity

Evaluation and development of animal breeding in Ireland

End of project reportThe primary objectives of this study were: 1) to annually evaluate the pertinence of the Irish dairy cattle breeding index, the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) and where necessary modify, 2) to evaluate the potential of do-it-yourself milk recording as an alternative to current supervised methods of milk recording, and 3) to estimate the level and rate of accumulation of inbreeding in Irish dairy and beef cattle, to quantify its effects on traits of economic importance, and to develop remedial measures to minimise the future accumulation of inbreeding in Ireland