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Finishing Outdoors

A small but steadily growing number of pigs is reared and finished on outdoor commercial pig farms. Outdoor pig finishing systems may use conventional production methods and feeds or may be to specific organic standards. There is no legal definition for free range pork unlike with egg or chicken production.

In outdoor finishing units pigs live in paddocks separated by electric fencing. They are kept in tents which provide shelter from the elements. Because the pigs live outdoors throughout the year outdoor pig farming is only possible on light free draining soils typically found in East Anglia, along the M4 corridor and in parts of Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire.

Also like outdoor breeding, extremes of weather present additional challenges to outdoor pig health and welfare.  Pigs, like dogs are only able to regulate their body temperature through panting.

They also have very sensitive skin. In warm weather it is therefore important that they are provided with either wallows or sun shades to help control their temperature and also to protect their skin.  Growth performance can drop during hot weather.

During cold and wet weather additional bedding is given to rearing and finishing pigs to try to keep them dry and warm.  Mortality can increase in such conditions.  It may also be necessary to fill water troughs manually as water pipes may often freeze.

outdoor finishers Outdoor paddocks are usually moved to new ground every two years Finishing tents are moved onto new ground within a paddock after every batch and old bedding removed.  This is to stop the build up of parasites in the soil that are harmful to pigs and can spread disease from batch to batch. 
Other than being based outdoors it is very similar to indoor finishing in terms of the production systems, feeds and medication used. 

Outdoor organic pig production systems are the same as outdoor conventional pig finishing systems except that such farms must observe specific Soil Association standards in terms of the feed and medication products that may be fed and administered to the pigs.

Rearing and finishing pigs are usually kept in the same small groups throughout.  In outdoor finishing systems litter groups are mixed together once at the beginning of the rearing stage (7kg or 12kgs).  The principal reason for this is to minimise the risk of disease spread between groups of pigs and reduce the incidence of fighting and stress of pigs that occurs when groups are mixed together and they have to determine a new pecking order.

Feed makes up 60 per cent of the production costs within rearing and finishing. Pigs are omnivorous animals (they will eat a very wide range of food) and while outdoor pigs will graze grass it is insufficient to provide their complete dietary requirements. Normally pig rations comprise cereals, protein, minerals and vitamins in a compound form. A pig’s diet must be well balanced and meet the needs of the pig which means it will have to change at different stages of growth. As pigs get older and heavier the amount of protein they need falls which means a cheaper diet can be used.

Antibiotic growth promoters are prohibited from pig production.  Antibiotics may only be used for therapeutic purposes to treat disease and must be prescribed by a veterinarian.