Free Range and Livestock Housing
5.8 Free range areas and livestock housing
This section includes:
5.8.12-17 Information specific to poultry
General Principles
5.8.1 Housing conditions for livestock must meet the livestocks biological and ethological needs (e.g. behavioural needs as regards appropriate freedom of movement and comfort). The livestock must have easy access to feeding and watering. Insulation, heating and ventilation of the building must ensure that air circulation, dust level, temperature, relative air humidity and gas concentration, are kept within limits which are not harmful to the animals. The building must permit plentiful natural ventilation and light to enter. No construction materials or production equipment shall be used in a way that may significantly harm human or animal health.
Poultry, rabbits and pigs shall not be kept in cages.
5.8.2 Free-range (which means access to pasture), open-air exercise areas, or open-air runs must if necessary, provide sufficient protection against rain, wind, sun and extreme temperatures, depending on the local weather conditions and the breed concerned. Landless systems of livestock production are prohibited. The maximum hours of artificial light used to prolong day length shall not exceed a maximum that respects the natural behaviour, geographical conditions and general health of the animals.
5.8.3 Stocking densities and the avoidance of over grazing. Herd animals shall not be kept individually.
5.8.4 The stocking density in buildings shall provide for the comfort and well being of the animals, which, in particular, shall depend on the species, the breed and the age of the animals. It shall also take account of the behavioural needs of the animals, which depend in particular on the size of the group and the animals sex. The optimum density will seek to ensure the animals welfare by providing them with sufficient space to stand naturally, lie down easily, turn round, groom themselves, assume all natural postures and make all natural movements such as stretching and wing flapping.
5.8.5 The minimum surface areas for indoor housing and outdoor exercise areas, and other characteristics of housing for different species and categories of animals, are laid down in Section 10, Table 9.
5.8.6 The outdoor stocking density of livestock kept on pasturage, other grassland, wetland, and other natural or semi-natural habitats, must be low enough to prevent poaching of the soil and over grazing of vegetation.
5.8.7 Housing, pens, equipment and utensils must be properly cleaned and disinfected to prevent cross-infection and the build-up of disease carrying organisms. Only the products listed in Section 10, Table 6, can be used for such cleaning and disinfection of livestock buildings and installations. Faeces, urine and uneaten or spilt food must be removed as often as necessary to minimise smell and to avoid attracting insects or rodents. Only the products listed in Section 10, Table 2, and point 5 can be used for the elimination of insects and other pests in buildings and other installations where livestock is kept.
5.8.8 Subject to the provisions in paragraph 5.6.3, all animals must have access to pasturage or an open-air exercise area or an open-air run, which may be partially covered. They must be able to use those areas whenever the physiological conditions of the animal, the weather conditions and the state of the ground permit. Herbivores must have access to pasturage whenever conditions allow.
5.8.9 Livestock housing must have smooth, but not slippery floors. At least half of the total floor area must be solid, that is, not of slatted or grid construction.
5.8.10 The housing must provide a comfortable, clean and dry laying/rest area of sufficient size, consisting of a solid construction, which is not slatted. Ample dry bedding strewn with litter material must be provided in the rest area. The litter must comprise straw or other suitable natural material.
The litter may be improved and enriched with any mineral product authorised for use as a fertiliser in organic farming in accordance with Section 10, Table 1. In addition to 5.8.1 requirements, in particular, animal welfare provisions relating to the rearing of calves and pigs must be complied with. For animals or products for which official organic assurances are sought:
(a) The housing of calves in individual boxes after the age of one week is not permitted
5.8.11 Sows must be kept in groups, except in the last stages of pregnancy and during the suckling period. Pigs shall not be kept in cages. Piglets may not be kept on flat decks or in piglet cages. Exercise areas must permit dunging and rooting by the animals. For the purposes of rooting different substrates can be used.
Poultry
5.8.12 Poultry must be reared in open-range conditions and cannot be kept in cages.
5.8.13 Water fowl must have access to a stream, pond or lake whenever the weather conditions permit in order to respect animal welfare requirements or hygienic conditions.
5.8.14 Buildings for all poultry must meet the following minimum conditions:
- At least one third shall be solid, that is, not of slatted or grid construction, and covered with a litter material such as straw, wood shavings, sand or turf
- In poultry houses for laying hens, a sufficiently large part of the floor area available to the hens must be available for the collection of bird droppings
- They must have perches of a size and number commensurate with the size of the group and of the birds as laid down in Section 10, Table 9
- They must have exit/entry pop-holes of a size adequate for the birds, and these pop-holes must have a combined length of at least 4m per 100m2 area of the house available to the birds
- Each poultry house must not contain more than:
1500 chickens
1500 laying hens
2000 guinea fowl
1000 female Muscovy or Peking ducks or
1000 male Muscovy or Peking ducks or other ducks
1000 capons, geese or turkeys
- The total usable area of poultry houses for meat production on any single production unit must not exceed 1600 m2
5.8.15 In the case of laying hens natural light may be supplemented by artificial means to provide a maximum of 16 hours light per day with a continuous nocturnal rest period without artificial light of at least eight hours.
5.8.16 Poultry must have access to an open-air run whenever weather conditions permit and, whenever possible must have such access for at least one third of their life. These open-air runs must be mainly covered with vegetation, be provided with protective facilities, and permit animals to have easy access to adequate numbers of drinking and feeding troughs.
5.8.17 For health reasons, buildings must be emptied of livestock between each batch of poultry reared. The buildings and fittings are to be cleaned and disinfected during this time. In addition, when the rearing of each batch of poultry has been completed, runs must be left empty to allow vegetation to grow back and for health reasons. These requirements shall not apply to small numbers of poultry which are not kept in runs and which are free to roam throughout the day.
