It’s almost 20 years since Otway Bred Free Range Pork was established, being one of the first pig producers in Australia to farm sows outdoors and the very first pig farms to be Approved under the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme.
The RSPCA is very proud of our ongoing relationship with Otway Bred Free Range Pork – where animal welfare is an integral part of their business.
With more consumers starting to question where their food comes from and how it was produced, you might be interested to know how pigs are farmed at RSPCA Approved Otway Bred Free Range Pork…
Otway Pork pigs are bred outdoors at farms near the Otway Ranges in South Western Victoria and at Edenhope near the South Australian border. Parent pigs are free to roam around their paddocks, wallow in mud baths and shelter in purpose-built open huts. As the mother sow approaches the time to give birth, she is moved to another paddock where she has access to her own insulated, straw-based hut in which she can follow her nesting instincts and have her litter in a quiet natural environment.
Once the litter is born, Otway piglets stay in their hut for protection from predators. As they grow, they venture out from their huts and are free to play, forage and socialise in open paddocks. At about four weeks of age, Otway piglets are weaned from their mothers and are moved to large straw-based shelters to protect them from the elements (in particular, the sun and heat). In the shelters, Otway pigs continue to be free to move about and socialise, and they have access at all times to clean drinking water, a healthy grain-based diet, bedding and good stock care.
Otway Bred Free Range Pork has a number of different pork products, including a new range of hams. Find your nearest stockists of RSPCA Approved Otway Bred Free Range Pork here.
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2 responses to “Otway Bred Free Range Pork”
Could you please advise what grains you feed your animals?
Hi Graeme,
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is a certification program solely focused on improving animal welfare, detailed and informed by science-based evidence. Producers must meet the RSPCA’s stringent animal welfare requirements and undertake a rigorous assessment process to gain certification. The standards are formally reviewed regularly to make sure they are progressively evolving and continuing to incorporate relevant animal science, innovations in farming, and community expectations that edge us closer to achieving our vision of higher-welfare farming. When you see the RSPCA Approved logo on a product this means the producer has been certified against our standards, the RSPCA doesn’t produce the chicken itself.
Our Standards outline that appropriate feed must be available in sufficient quantity and quality to meet the animal’s requirements, and they must have continuous access to clean, drinkable water. Our Standards do not outline use of particular grains or specify other food types. If you are interested in what feeds producers use we recommend reaching out to the brand to ask.