[permaculture-oceania] feeding pigs and nutrient runnoff

[kdawborn]

Thanks for your suggestions David, regarding dealing with nutrient runoff to
waterways when keeping pigs. The situation we are dealing with is not a
designed permaculture system, although the owner is open to permaculture
ideas to improve the property. It is primarily a pig operation, although
there are poultry and goats as well, and cattle from time to time. The pigs
are not used as tractors, but are kept on pasture. They wear nose rings to
prevent them from being too rough on the pasture. The property is only about
15 acres plus five acres of bush, so the pasture is used intensively, but
every effort is made to rest and rotate. Given these factors I think your
suggestion of filter strips of nutrient rich soil between the pasture and
the creek seems the most likely to be useful. Since the property stretches
from the high point at the road, down to the creek, with undulating higher
and lower points along the way, I wonder if the best place for such filters
is in the lower parts, with plants that can make good use of high nutrient
soil. It would be great if such plants could be fodder plants. What do you
think? Would this be a sensible way to go? Any suggestions about suitable
plants? What do others think?

 

Thanks heaps,

 

Kerry Dawborn.

 

  _____  

From: permaculture-oceania-bounces at lists.cat.org.au
[mailto:permaculture-oceania-bounces at lists.cat.org.au] On Behalf Of
davidarnold at iinet.net.au
Sent: Sunday, 18 June 2006 10:43 PM
To: permaculture-oceania at lists.cat.org.au
Subject: [permaculture-oceania] feeding pigs and nutrient runnoff

 

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

>     ITm 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|

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

>     _______________________________________________

>     permaculture-oceania mailing list

>     permaculture-oceania at lists.cat.org.au

>     http://lists.cat.org.au/mailman/listinfo/permaculture-oceania

> 

> 

 

 

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