Pasture raising pigs brings different approach to New Dundee farm

Aug 25, 2023

A farm in New Dundee is taking an outdoor approach to raising its pigs, using a technique known as pasture raising.

Instead of keeping the animals in a sty or barn, Tilt Built Pastures’ pigs spend all of their time outdoors.

“There’s 52 pigs on a two acre plot. The pigs love rooting around investigating grass, eating lots,” Andrew Tilt, owner of Tilt Built Pastures, said. “Thirty per cent of their diet is coming from the forage, so the orchard grass, clovers, alfalfa, and so on. The remaining 70 per cent is a grower pellet that we get in.”

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Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.