Specially bred pigs and improved management have reduced piglet mortality.

Small piglets root around in the soil and grunt teasingly at each other. They do not seem to be affected by the cold November weather in the fields at Bovbjerg Økologi near Give.

And they have indeed been bred for a life outdoors.

All the pigs in the large farm’s enclosures belong to the breeding company Topigs Norsvin, which was developed for, among other things, organic free-range production.

"What Topigs Norsvin stands out for is that all their breeding animals are raised in free-range systems, either in Norway or in Canada, where they have their breeding nuclei. When you breed in a free-range system, you also get animals that are well suited to a free-range system," explains Henrik Bovbjerg, director of Bovbjerg Økologi.

Bovbjerg Økologi now breeds Topig Norsvin and sells them to other herds. They introduced the pigs to Denmark together with the organic farmer Bertel Hestbjerg.

Their genetics are a significant part of the explanation for why piglet mortality in organic production has fallen markedly in recent years.

A new survey shows that mortality has fallen by one third – from 29.5 per cent in 2014-2015 to 19.4 per cent in 2026.

Today, more than 90 per cent of organic pig producers use genetics from Topigs Norsvin. The sows give birth to fewer piglets, which are larger and more robust in return.

"We organic pig producers have known for a long time that this was the direction things were going. We have seen a huge decline in organic piglet mortality. We just haven’t had any official figures on it, and now it’s really great that they have arrived," says Henrik Bovbjerg.

Three per cent makes a difference

At Bovbjerg Økologi, they are also working purposefully to continue improving results in the individual herds.

Henrik Bovbjerg runs two organic herds. One has a piglet mortality rate of around 14 per cent, while the other is approximately 17 per cent.

"Still better than the national average, but a three per cent difference is a big difference if there are management-related things we can improve."

That is why data from the farm’s systems is used to investigate where the piglets die and what may be the cause.

"We use a lot of data from our systems to find out where they die and what they die from. Is it straw, is it the feed composition, or is it the design of the enclosure? So there are clearly some management-related things we can do something about."

This also means that there is still potential to reduce mortality nationwide.

Sharing experiences across farms

An important part of the work does not take place only on the individual farm. The organic pig producers also meet in experience groups, where both farmers and employees share their experiences.

"We are good at working closely together in the organic sector. We have experience groups across the board, and virtually everyone belongs to an experience group."

For Henrik Bovbjerg, the close cooperation is an important part of the explanation for the development.

"It is a small niche industry, so we all know each other, and virtually all the employees know each other at the other farms and know who is where. So everyone from trainees to farm managers comes to the experience meetings. They are extremely committed to it, and I think that is what makes a difference."

Although piglet mortality has now fallen to a level below that of conventional production, there is therefore no reason to rest on one’s laurels.

And although mortality will never be eliminated entirely, the development is something Henrik Bovbjerg is proud of:

"We have really made progress, and a reduction of one third is truly something to be proud of, no matter where you come from. It is really something that makes a difference, something we can be proud of as an industry. And we will never reach zero."