BREED

• Breeds selected should be those which suit free ranging and other organic production and will mature satisfactorily without the use of prohibited feed ingredients and/or practices.
• Female breeding stock must ideally be bred on the farm or obtained from certified sources.
• If certified breeding stocks are not available then a maximum of 10% of uncertified adult female breeding stock of the same species may be able to be brought in during any twelve month period.
• Artificial insemination is allowed provided that the livestock is non-GMO and not cloned, and the semen preparations doesn’t contain any ingredients which are GMOs or are the product of GM/GE
• Embryo transfer and/or reproductive manipulations are prohibited.
• Artificial synchronization and induction are prohibited unless applied to individual animals for veterinary reasons.
• Cloning is prohibited.
• Genetic engineered breeds and livestock, and the progeny of genetically engineered breeds and livestock are prohibited.
• Animals must be raised organically from birth.    

FEED

• Young mammalian livestock must receive maternal first milk (ie containing colustrum) or certified first milk from their own species for at least 3 days after birth.
• Silage preservatives are permitted, ie bacteria and enzyme additives, molasses and salt.
• At least 50% of the livestock feed, including grazing and foraging and stored feeds, must be produced on the farm or in cooperation with other BioGro certified farms in the region.
• Stored feeds from uncertified sources are not permitted.
• Non-organic feed must be less than 5% dry matter for ruminant and less than 15% dry matter for non-ruminant calculated on an annual basis.
• Feed purchased from uncertified sources must not contain prohibited substances or genetically modified organisms or their derivatives.
• Supplements and vitamins BioGro certified/approved are allowed.
• If meat meal is used in the feed, the livestock products cannot be exported as organic to US and EU.
• FOR POULTRY, PIGS, RATITES AND RUMINANTS
• At least 65% of the feed used in the fattening stage must contain cereals.

Permitted compound feeds:

• Grains
• Pulses
• Other plant products
• Plant extracts
• Milk and milk products
• Fish by products such as fishmeal with no added synthetic anti-oxidants or prohibited additives
• Natural forms of vitamins and minerals

Prohibited products to be added into feed:

• Artificial colouring agents
• All types of excrements including droppings, dung or other manure
• Farm animal by-products and abattoir waste products such as meat meal, bone meal, and blood products to ruminants
• Feed such as soy and rape seed meal that has been subjected to solvent extraction, eg hexane or the addition of other chemical agents
• Genetically engineered organisms or products thereof
• Preservatives
• Pure amino acids
• Synthetic appetizers
• Synthetic growth promoters or stimulants
• Urea and other synthetic nitrogen compounds

HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE

• Herbal, naturopathic and homeopathic therapies and remedies are allowed.
• Routine or scheduled vaccination is prohibited.
• The level of parasitic worm inoculums present in pastures must be reduced or eliminated by cropping, cross grazing, rotations or browsing fodder.
• Natural purgatives and homeopathic remedies are permitted.
• Natural remedies are allowed.
• Zinc sulphate or copper sulphate treatment is permitted.
• Oral rehydration with glucose electrolyte solution is permitted.
• Homeopathic, naturopathic, chalk and fine clay remedies are permitted.
• Drying off mildly infected quarters is permitted.
• Vegetable oils, fish oils and natural sodium bicarbonate may be used where needed.

Prohibited substances:

• Antibiotics
• Coccidiostats and other artificial aids for growth promotion purposes
• Hormones or similar substances to control reproduction eg induction or synchronization of oestrus, or for other purposes.
• Production stimulants, suppressants and growth promoters