[permaculture-oceania] feeding pigs and nutrient runnoff

[davidarnold at iinet.net.au]

Hi Kerry,

In a relatively intensive permaculture garden pigs might always be penned in the same 
few areas, and some nutrient runoff from those pens during wet weather tolerated 
because it is easily caught by gardens downstream of the nutrient flow.

I think the first and most important strategy regarding nutrient runoff from pigs farmed 
fairly extensively is rotational grazing.  Even if you want the pigs to completely plough 
an area, and perhaps root out all Jerusalem Artichoke tubers in the area, it is far better 
to fence them into a small enough area so they can do that quickly, and be moved on.  
How small an area and how quickly depends on the number of pigs and how often you 
can move them.  Every day or two would be ideal, but for moving pigs most likely 
impractical.  Broadly, say no more than a week in any one position, with the size of the 
area [pigs per square metre] varied to achieve the desired level of cultivation.

If the pigs are left in one area too long the walked on soil becomes compacted, and 
the ploughed soil has its humus burnt in the sun.  Either event causes loss or 
deterioration of humus.  Not only are you trying to build up your humus to increase 
your topsoil and fertility, but you need to protect your humus so it can act as a sponge 
and absorb any excess nutrients washed into the soil from the soil surface [from 
manure]. 

The humus can become overloaded with nutrient, then nutrient runoff occurs.  A deep 
humus rich topsoil will be more resilient, more capable of absorbing free soluble 
nutrient, than a soil with low organic matter.  So be careful when you are starting out.

The other strategy to protect against nutrient running into creeks is to maintain filter 
strips of vegetation / humus rich soil between the pens and the creek to catch 
whatever nutrient runoff does occur.  If nutrient runoff is unavoidable, plan to harvest 
material [nutrients] from these filter strips to be returned uphill to the pens or wherever 
useful.

Regards,


David Arnold			davidarnold at iinet.net.au  

4446 Murchison Rd, Violet Town  VIC  3669
03 5798 1679		0428 981 679
   

> 
> Thanks to everyone for your suggestions on pig fodder and forage and
> general feeding ideas. Looking forward to more thoughts on this too!
> No replies yet on dealing with nutrient runoff “ which is a big thing
> we need to deal with. To remind you of the question it is included
> again below!
> 
> Cheers all,
> 
> Kerry Dawborn
> 
> 
>     3)Nutrient runoff from paddocks into creek: we are concerned about
>     the nutrient load going into our creek from animal manure. It
>     seems likely that the most sensible way to view this is that
>     really, the nutrients are something we want to keep and use rather
>     than allow to pollute the creek, so perhaps the thing to do is
>     grow more stuff that can soak it up. Any suggestions re useful
>     fodder (especially) or human food plants or other plants, and ways
>     to lay things out in order to best catch the runoff? As I write
>     I™m thinking swale-type arrangements with appropriate plantings
>     could work, but we are talking paddocks with pigs so for stock
>     management and other reasons, am not sure whether this might
>     create problems.
> 
> 
>     Any thoughts and suggestions would be most welcome¦
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     _______________________________________________
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>     permaculture-oceania at lists.cat.org.au
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> 
> 



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