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Animals
Special Issues
Organic Livestock Farming: New Trends, Health and Welfare Issues
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Organic Livestock Farming: New Trends, Health and Welfare Issues

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 12 July 2025 | Viewed by 3729

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: porcine medicine; porcine herd health management; porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV); porcine-circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD); porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC); reproductive diseases in sows and boars; welfare and production; heat stress; alternatives to antibiotics; vaccines; feed additives; mycotoxins; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Organic farming is a production system that is based on ecological methods, biodiversity and natural sources adapted to local conditions, in contrast to the use of inputs and negative effects. The livestock sector (cattle, sheep, goat, pig, poultry) has a high environmental and economic impact on the sustainability of rural economies and the balance of many ecosystems; however, it also has a. Due to the growing demand of modern consumers for environmentally-friendly production of animal products, organic farming is proposed as an alternative production system that emerged to intensive farming and its negative ecological, social, and economic consequences.The primary welfare risk in organic production systems appears to be related to animal health. Organic farms use a combination of management practices, alternative and complementary remedies, and conventional medicines to monitor health and welfare problems. However, in contrast to non-organic systems, there is a lack of studies that integrate the existing knowledge about prevention and treatment strategies that must be included in a herd health management program in the organic livestock sector.The present special issue aims to fill a knowledge gap, providing strategies and insights that will help stakeholders and policymakers to improve the sustainability of the organic livestock sector. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Animal welfare;
  • Zoonoses and organic livestock production;
  • Parasitic diseases in organic farms;
  • Infectious diseases in outdoor farms;
  • Future perspectives for organic livestock farming;
  • Environmental risk factors in organic livestock farming;
  • Demands of consumers;
  • Legislation and policy.

Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • organic livestock farming
  • welfare
  • zoonoses
  • parasites
  • bacteria
  • viruses
  • consumer

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 867 KiB  
Article
Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Ration Planning Among German Organic Pig and Poultry Farmers
by Margret Krieger, Susanne Hoischen-Taubner, Leonie Blume and Albert Sundrum
Animals 2025, 15(6), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060807 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Providing young monogastric animals with the essential amino acids they need is challenging in organic feeding. The nutrient content of organic feeds varies widely, and additives are restricted, so feed rations must be formulated based on analysis. A survey of 56 organic pig [...] Read more.
Providing young monogastric animals with the essential amino acids they need is challenging in organic feeding. The nutrient content of organic feeds varies widely, and additives are restricted, so feed rations must be formulated based on analysis. A survey of 56 organic pig and poultry farmers in Germany was carried out to investigate their attitudes towards ration planning and to examine and evaluate the feeding management on their farms. Principal component analysis was used to characterise the different attitudes. Cluster analysis revealed three groups: Farmers in Group 1 (n = 28) were uncertain about the nutrient requirements of organic animals. They accepted the importance of need-based feeding for health and performance, but did not recognise the importance of regular ration adjustments and were uncertain about the animals’ ability to compensate for deficiencies. In Group 2 (n = 11), need-based feeding and regular ration adjustments were most important to farmers, who were more likely to have professional feeding systems. In Group 3 (n = 17), farmers were least uncertain about nutrient requirements and did not believe that animals would lower their demand when undersupplied. Although the importance of need-based feeding was recognised, regular ration adjustment was of little importance for this group. Across all farms, 60% of the feed rations examined deviated significantly from recommendations. It is concluded that organic farmers need more guidance and perhaps pressure to fulfil their responsibility to provide their animals with the nutrients they need. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organic Livestock Farming: New Trends, Health and Welfare Issues)
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Review

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13 pages, 2365 KiB  
Review
Animal Health and Productivity of Organic Greek Pig Farms: The Current Situation and Prospects for Sustainability
by Georgios I. Papakonstantinou, Ioannis Arsenakis, Aris Pourlis and Vasileios G. Papatsiros
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2834; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182834 - 6 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2504
Abstract
A review of organic pig production in Greece was carried out. The aim was to present updated information on the production, development and health status of organic pig farming in Greece and potential prospects for sustainability and future development. The indigenous Greek Black [...] Read more.
A review of organic pig production in Greece was carried out. The aim was to present updated information on the production, development and health status of organic pig farming in Greece and potential prospects for sustainability and future development. The indigenous Greek Black Pig is the main breed reared in Greek organic pig farms. All the reasons why Greek Black Pig breeding is ideal for organic farming are mentioned. Furthermore, respiratory and parasitic infections are the most common health problems, while high piglet mortality rates are the main welfare issue in Greek organic pig farming. Concerns about how farmers and authorities should utilize the demands of modern consumers are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organic Livestock Farming: New Trends, Health and Welfare Issues)
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