What you can say when marketing organic 2020 - Flipbook - Page 25
Cows
Organic cows spend as much time outdoors
as possible198
Cows are fed a grass-rich, GM free diet
(minimum 60% grass-based)199
Chickens & Eggs
Organic chickens are much more than
free-range. They live in smaller flocks, have
better access to fresh air and the outdoors
and more space in their houses than nonorganic chickens204
‘Zero-grazing’, where cows are kept indoors
and cut grass or other feed, such as cereals and
soya is taken to them, is banned by organic
standards200
Organic chickens are never caged205
Calves must be fed natural, organic milk,
preferably maternal milk, for a minimum period
of 12 weeks201
Organic poultry must have continuous and
easy, daytime access to a diverse outdoor range.
Organic farms certified by the Soil Association
also have to provide more pop holes (exits from
the hen house) than free-range farms do207, to
encourage and promote ranging208
Soil Association standards state that farmers
must have a plan in place for unwanted male
dairy calves202
• Organic cows eat mainly grass (the organic
standard requires 60% forage in the diet), while
non-organic cows are generally given more
concentrated feed (on average a third more) in
order to increase milk production. This means
organic dairy has lower (on average 20% lower)
but more sustainable, milk yield, which helps to
protect the animals’ health and welfare203
Organic chickens have a third more space
indoors than free-range birds206
Organic chickens are not allowed to be fed on
GM feed (which is common in free-range and
non-organic hens)209
Organic farming encourages poultry/chicken
breeds that are slower growing, and more
robust.210 Organic meat chickens live twice as
long as most intensively farmed chickens211
Organic laying hens are kept in smaller flocks
with more space (max 3,000 vs 16,000 in freerange systems)212
Soil Association certified poultry raised for meat
are kept in smaller flocks (max 1,000 birds) and
have more space than free-range birds213
Poultry must be given access to an outdoor
range as early as possible214
The Soil Association have the
highest standards for animal
welfare in the UK
Chickens must not have their beaks trimmed to
try and prevent feather pecking215 and are given
plenty of opportunities to express their natural
behaviours such as foraging, bathing in the dust
outside and pecking at insects and worms on
diverse ranges216
Organic chicken flocks are eight times smaller
than free-range flocks.217 This is important as the
health of individual birds is much more easily
managed within a smaller flock
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