Control experiences: Animal husbandry in late autumn

The season of main inspections on organic farms is drawing to a close. However, an old and somewhat hackneyed principle must always be remembered, as it remains valid: after the organic inspection is before the next organic inspection.

Experience has shown that a considerable proportion of deficiencies in animal husbandry occur in late autumn. It is therefore worth paying attention to this seasonal aspect in good time. The following information is based on the experience of the organic inspections carried out by bio.inspecta in autumn.

Grazing in wet weather
The classic autumn deficiency is the grazing of a forage area with unfenced, boggy patches. This issue can lead to reductions in direct payments.   

If, because of unfavorable weather conditions, the grazing area is covered in mud and the grazing animals have no choice but to lie down on this unsuitable terrain, there is a risk of excessive soiling of the animals. This would constitute an animal welfare offence.

The combination of boggy pasture and dirty animals is unfortunately a regular occurrence. A prolonged stay on damp ground, especially in sheep, often leads to hoof problems. If these are not properly treated and documented in the treatment journal, an animal welfare offence has once again been committed.

According to the Animal Welfare Ordinance, places where animals are kept outdoors on a permanent basis must not be muddy or excessively soiled with manure. The watering place, as well as lying areas and any hay rack, are hotspots for animal welfare offences that arise as a result of mud.

In wet weather, any defects found can therefore very quickly lead to a very costly problem for the company.

Supplementary feed for grazing ration
To prevent digestive problems and the dreaded bloating, which occurs particularly in autumn and on days with northerly winds, supplementary feed is often administered. It is important to note that all feedstuffs that are not labelled with the “auxiliary bud” must be included in the list of farm inputs. If they are not, a veterinarian's order and an additional authorisation from the FiBL Feed Group are required for legitimate administration.

The addition of hay prevents problems caused by one-sided autumn pasture diet. If your own feed stocks are not sufficient, you must ensure that ruminants are fed 100 percent Swiss Bud feed.

As there is a large supply on Biomondo, the prospects of obtaining authorisation for the purchase of non-Bud feed are unfavorable, even if the criteria are met (mice and water damage). Inspections regularly reveal deficiencies in connection with supplementary feed and non-organic or non-Bud base feed

Increase in livestock
Given that sufficient feed was conserved on most farms in the 2024 harvest year, some farms are considering a possible increase in livestock numbers. In addition to the fact that feed stocks are always advantageous and should therefore be prioritized, there are a few things to consider:

• Only organic animals may be purchased.
• Exceptions include male breeding animals, horses not used for food production, and hobby animals that are not kept for monetary gain.
• Hobby animals may therefore not be registered for the Raus or BTS program. However, the Raus requirements must be complied with on an organic farm, just as in commercial animal husbandry.
• If farm animals are desired but are not available on the market, an application for the purchase of non-organic animals can be submitted to bio.inspecta. The criteria that allow us, as the inspection body, to grant approval can be found in the catalogue of criteria for granting derogations. This catalogue of criteria is an integral part of the organic regulations.

Risk of injury in stables
Particularly in the case of livestock such as suckler cow herds, which often spend the growing season on permanent pasture, it is now high time to deal with the housing. Necessary repairs and adjustments must be carried out as soon as possible.

A regularly occurring animal welfare deficiency during organic inspections is the risk of injury from livestock facilities. It is important to note that in the case of such deficiencies, the entire animal population in the barn is always penalised.

A broken cubicle rail with a risk of injury in a barn housing 20 LU of cattle will inevitably result in a fine of at least CHF 2,000. A few new cubicle bars can be purchased for this amount.

Store farmyard manure correctly
If necessary, there is still a last opportunity to spread farmyard manure before the vegetation period ends. Infringements related to the storage of farmyard manure, often due to a lack of storage capacity, occur regularly. In this case as well, the storage facilities should be prepared for the upcoming collection of winter farmyard manure without delay, ensuring compliance with water protection legislation. The different cantonal regulations regarding the application of farmyard manure should always be clarified in advance. Farmyard manure applied in spring has a significantly greater effect. It is therefore only advisable to use it in late autumn if storage capacity makes it absolutely necessary.  

Published on www.bioaktuell.ch