SUMMER chickens "on herbs"

In the organic RDD project ’SUMMER’, an experiment with organic broilers with access to a large range area with herbs has been performed. The effect of chicken genotypes with different growth rates and different feeding strategies on the animals’ feed intake, growth, welfare, health and meat quality was investigated. The results so far indicate that it is necessary to use chicken genotypes with lower growth rates for a better welfare, and the focus should be on the individual genotype and its actual nutrient requirements and utilisation of feed from the range area

Male chicken thigh meat quality from fast and slow growing breeds from an organic free-range system

Significant effects of Genotype and Age on several of the technological meat quality attributes measured were found. In general, the meat from fast growing birds (JA) was darker, more tender, had a higher water-binding but a higher cooking loss. Birds with a higher age at slaughter was more red, less tender and had a higher cooking loss. Regarding the protein concentration of the feed, no significant effects could be found on meat quality attributes, however a high protein concentration in the feed showed a tendency towards more tender meat

The effect of breed and feed-type on the sensory profile of breast meat in male broilers reared in an organic free-range system

1. Studies on the sensory profiling of male broiler breast meat were carried out to evaluate the effect of two very different broiler breeds (JA757 and New Hampshire), two different feed types (broiler and grower feed) and age at slaughter (82 and 110 d). 2. The sensory profiling consisted of a pilot study, 4 training sessions, and finally the assessment. During the training session a panel of 9 assessors defined 17 attributes, which were used to describe the smell, texture and flavour of the breast fillets. Each attribute was evaluated on a 15-cm unstructured line scale. 3. The breast meat became significantly less hard, and more juicy and tender in the New Hampshire at 110 d of age, whereas the opposite was found in JA757, which also acquired a more ‘‘sourish’’ flavour with age. The smell of ‘‘sweet/maize’’ and ‘‘bouillon’’ became weaker with age in JA757, but not in New Hampshire. 4. Several significant differences in relation to the main factors of breed and age were found. The traditional broiler hybrid JA757 did best for most smell and flavour attributes, whereas New Hampshire did best for the texture attributes. Age had a negative effect on the flavours and smell attributes ‘‘fresh chicken’’, ‘‘neck of pork’’ and ‘‘sweet maize’’, but a positive effect on the texture attribute ‘‘crumbly’’. In addition meat was more ‘‘stringy’’ at 110 d of age. 5. The flavours ‘‘neck of pork’’ and ‘‘umami’’ were significantly improved when JA757 was fed on the broiler feed and when New Hampshire was given the grower feed. The meat smelt more ‘‘sourish’’ at 82 d of age and less ‘‘sourish’’ at 110 d of age when the grower feed was consumed. Meat was significantly harder and stringier when JA757 was fed on the grower feed. This was not the case for New Hampshire. In general, the meat was significantly less crumbly and stringier with the grower feed. 6. Overall a very distinct difference in sensory profile was found between the two breeds. In addition different slaughter ages and feeding strategies should be taken into consideration in a niche production based on alternative genotypes

Free-range pigs foraging on Jerusalem artichokes

Free-range pig production in Northern Europe is characterized by high inputs of concentrate on grassland. This increases risk of nutrient leaching, increases feed costs and puts a pressure on land resources. Pigs’ unique ability to find a part of their food directly in the field where they are kept should be taken into consideration. One below ground field forage characterized by very high yields and with great potential as fodder source is Jerusalem Artichokes (JA) tubers. The nutritional contribution from free-range foraging, growth, feed conversion and behaviour were investigated in 36 growing pigs foraging on JA and fed concentrates restrictedly (30 % of energy recommendations) or ad libitum. Behavioural observations were carried out weekly over the entire experimental period of 40 days. The average daily consumption of concentrate was 51 MJ and 11 MJ ME pig-1 for pigs fed ad libitum and restrictedly, respectively. Compared to the ad libitum fed pigs, the pigs fed restrictedly had a significant lower daily gain (560 vs. 1,224 g pig-1), improved feed conversion ratio (17.6 vs. 42.8 MJ ME concentrate kg-1 live weight gain) and spent more time foraging JA tubers (7.9 vs. 1.1%). Body conditions were comparable between the two treatments. It is estimated that pigs fed restrictedly found approximately 60% of their energy requirement from foraging in the range and consumed 1.3 kg to 1.6 kg DM of JA pig-1 per day. The results indicate good possibilities for substituting a large proportion of concentrates with home-grown JA tubers biological harvested by foraging pigs. Future studies are needed to reveal the most appropriate concentrate feeding regime when combined with foraging JA in relation to consequences for growth and feed conversion, but also for meat quality, animal health and nutrient balances

Improved texture of breast meat after a short finishing feeding period of broilers in an organic free-range system

In order to develop an organic broiler product with high ethical value, high meat quality and based on locally produced feed, we tested if a long period without high quality protein feed followed by a finishing period with a high quality protein ration would affect the meat quality. Two genotypes were included in the experiment (The Hubbard breed ‘JA757’ and the Sasso breed ‘T851’), and only female broilers were included. The chickens were raised in groups in a free range system with more than 10 square meters per chicken covered with grass and herbs. The chickens were offered free access to either an optimized organic concentrate ration (HP) or an organic ration based on locally produced ingredients (peas, rapeseed, lupine, wheat and oat) (LP). The broilers were slaughtered at 90 days (HP) or 118 days (LP). At 90 days the LP broilers were allocated to the high quality protein ration (HP) for either four weeks (LP4) or two weeks (LP2) before slaughter. At slaughter the JA757 HP broilers were the heaviest (2827 g), and the JA757 LP broilers were not able to catch up after either 2 or 4 weeks finishing feeding with the HP ration (2248 g and 2292 g, respectively). This was different for the T851 genotype where there was no difference in slaughter weight between the T851 HP and LP2 and LP4 (average 1592 g). A sensory panel evaluated the sensory quality of the breast meat and found less firmness and fibrousness, lower chewing time and more tenderness in both genotypes offered high quality protein feed in the finishing feeding for 2 weeks in comparison with the 4 weeks finishing feeding, with the HP in between. This pattern is reflected in the daily gains the last two weeks before slaughter and suggests a positive linkage between daily gain before slaughter and tenderness post mortem

Effect of grass–clover forage and whole-wheat feeding on the sensory quality of eggs

BACKGROUND: A sensory panel evaluated the sensory profile of eggs from hens from three experimental systems: (1) an indoor system × normal layer diet (InL), (2) a grass–clover forage system × normal layer diet (GrL), and (3) a grass–clover forage system × whole wheat and oyster shells (GrW). RESULTS: The taste of the albumen was significantly more ‘watery’ and the yolks a darker yellow/orange in the eggs from the GrL and GrW groups. The yolk was darkest from the GrW group. The yolks from the InL and GrW groups had a significantly more ‘fresh’, less ‘animal’, ‘cardboard’, and ‘intense’ aroma than the GrL group. The taste of the yolks from the InL and GrW groups was significantlymore ‘fresh’ and less ‘cardboard’-like compared to the GrL group. The yolks tasted significantly less ‘sulfurous’ in the GrW group than in the GrL group. CONCLUSION: The combination of a high feed intake from a grass–clover pasture and the type of feed allocated is an important factor in relation to the sensory quality of eggs. Thus, a less favourable sensory profile of eggs was found from hens on a grass–clover pasture and fed a normal layer diet

Slagtekyllinger på friland

100% økologisk foder til økologiske slagtekyllinger ved hjælp af fouragering i udearealet og danske råvarer

Økologisk kvalitet skal retførdiggøre merpris

I projektet: Kvalitet og integritet i økologiske æg-, kyllinge- og svinekødsprodukter undersøges strategier for mere forskelligartet svine- og kyllinge-produktion

Græsmarksurter og deres indholdsstoffer

Landbruget er i høj grad karakteriseret ved dyrkning af afgrøder i monokulturer. Dette afspejles i et vist omfang i afgræsningssystemer til husdyr, der er baseret på græs, dog ofte blandet med kløver. Efterhånden er der dog udviklet diverse frøblandinger med at miks af de mere gængse plantearter som f.eks. rajgræs og hvidkløver med mere eller mindre utraditionelle urter. Dette i erkendelse af at dyrene fra naturens side ville have adgang til et væld af forskellige urter til dækning af deres næringsbehov og til opretholdelse af dyrets modstandskraft mod sygdomme og parasitter. Således adskiller de forskellige urter sig i forhold til deres kemiske sammensætning af proteiner, mineraler og et utal af andre indholdsstoffer. Derudover er det også oppe i tiden med mere fokus på kvaliteten af det animalske produkt, og det er velkendt at produktkvalitetsegenskaber såsom smag, udseende, holdbarhed og indhold af næringsstoffer kan påvirkes af det foder dyret har adgang til. Herunder også de græsmarksplanter der tilbydes til det græssende dyr. Urternes betydning for en lang række egenskaber er dog kun delvist undersøgt, og mens nogle urter er undersøgt i rimeligt omfang er kendskabet til de fleste urter som foder til husdyr relativt begrænset og i flere tilfælde anvendes disse primært på baggrund af overleveringer indenfor landbruget. Nærværende litteraturstudie har til formål at indsamle noget af den viden der findes i litteraturen omkring urter, der er dyrkbare under danske forhold og deres indholdsstoffer samt indvirkningen på dyrenes produktivitet, sundhed og på det animalske produkt. Rapporten vil ikke være udtømmende i gennemgangen af de forskellige indholdsstoffer samt de urter der er valgt at fokusere på, ligesom der kan findes en lang række urter der ikke er medtaget, men som kan være relevante. Dermed vil der være en del anden litteratur, der ikke er udnyttet i denne rapport, men rapporten skal primært ses som et grundlag for det videre arbejde og studier indenfor området

Økologiske kyllinger på urter - vejen til høj dyrevelfærd (D.5.4)

Slagtekyllinger vokser hurtigt, hvilket er en egenskab opnået gennem mange års avl og foderoptimering. Dette resulterer ofte i benproblemer og et lavt aktivitetsniveau, hvilket øger risikoen for sår og svidninger på fødderne. Ved brug af nye kyllingetyper med langsommere vækst og ændret fodringsstrategi forventes bedre velfærd, kyllinge-kød med ny spisekvalitet og bedre udnyttelse af føde fra udearealet