§ 205.237 - Livestock feed.

§ 205.237 Livestock feed.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 87 FR 19773, Apr. 5, 2022.

(a) The producer of an organic livestock operation must provide livestock with a total feed ration composed of agricultural products, including pasture and forage, that are organically produced and handled by operations certified to the NOPunder this part, except as provided in § 205.236(a)(2)(i)iii) and (a)(3), except, that, synthetic substances allowed under § 205.603 and nonsynthetic substances not prohibited under § 205.604 may be used as feed additives and feed supplements, Provided, That, all agricultural ingredients included in the ingredients list, for such additives and supplements, shall have been produced and handled organically.

(b) The producer of an organic operation must not:

(1) Use animal drugs, including hormones, to promote growth;

(2) Provide feed supplements or additives in amounts above those needed for adequate nutrition and health maintenance for the species at its specific stage of life;

(3) Feed plastic pellets for roughage;

(4) Feed formulas containing urea or manure;

(5) Feed mammalian or poultry slaughter by-products to mammals or poultry;

(6) Use feed, feed additives, and feed supplements in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act;

(7) Provide feed or forage to which any antibiotic including ionophores has been added; or

(8) Prevent, withhold, restrain, or otherwise restrict ruminant animals from actively obtaining feed grazed from pasture during the grazing season, except for conditions as described under § 205.239(b) and (c).

(c) During the grazing season, producers shall:

(1) Provide not more than an average of 70 percent of a ruminant's dry matter demand from dry matter fed (dry matter fed does not include dry matter grazed from residual forage or vegetation rooted in pasture). This shall be calculated as an average over the entire grazing season for each type and class of animal. Ruminant animals must be grazed throughout the entire grazing season for the geographical region, which shall be not less than 120 days per calendar year. Due to weather, season, and/or climate, the grazing season may or may not be continuous.

(2) Provide pasture of a sufficient quality and quantity to graze throughout the grazing season and to provide all ruminants under the organic system plan with an average of not less than 30 percent of their dry matter intake from grazing throughout the grazing season: Except, That,

(i) Ruminant animals denied pasture in accordance with § 205.239(b)(1) through (8), and § 205.239(c)(1) through (3), shall be provided with an average of not less than 30 percent of their dry matter intake from grazing throughout the periods that they are on pasture during the grazing season;

(ii) Breeding bulls shall be exempt from the 30 percent dry matter intake from grazing requirement of this section and management on pasture requirement of § 205.239(c)(2); Provided, That, any animal maintained under this exemption shall not be sold, labeled, used, or represented as organic slaughter stock.

(d) Ruminant livestock producers shall:

(1) Describe the total feed ration for each type and class of animal. The description must include:

(i) All feed produced on-farm;

(ii) All feed purchased from off-farm sources;

(iii) The percentage of each feed type, including pasture, in the total ration; and

(iv) A list of all feed supplements and additives.

(2) Document the amount of each type of feed actually fed to each type and class of animal.

(3) Document changes that are made to all rations throughout the year in response to seasonal grazing changes.

(4) Provide the method for calculating dry matter demand and dry matter intake.

[65 FR 80637, Dec. 21, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 7193, Feb. 17, 2010; 87 FR 19773, Apr. 5, 2022]