Basic Disease Prevention Goes a Long Way in Herd Health

Caring for groups of livestock and groups of young children share many similarities when it comes to disease prevention and control. I am reminded of this a week after Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) came home with our daughter for the third time since August. Since they often inhabit the same spaces, they eat, drink, and play together. Both young children and livestock taste surfaces while exploring their environments. It’s wonderful for developing social skills and also wonderful for spreading pathogens. Neither toddlers or livestock can effectively wash their bodies after every encounter with an infected individual or contaminated surface. As caregivers, we have to do our best to prevent disease from entering the system, because once it is there, control becomes increasingly challenging. Some illnesses can be treated effectively with antibiotics, but the more we use antibiotics, the greater resistance is built within the bacterial population. Not to mention, that viruses (like HFMD) cannot be treated with antibiotics. Given all this, the best way to fight illness is through prevention.

Beginning on January 1, 2017 Veterinary Feed Directives (VFDs) will be required for use of any fed antibiotics for livestock that are also medically important for humans. A VFD is similar to a prescription, but does not need to be filled by a pharmacist, only approved by your veterinarian. Feed stores can continue to sell feeds and minerals containing antibiotics, but the seller must have a current VFD to buy them. Antibiotic feeds have been used for years as ways to prevent and treat bacterial illnesses in livestock and this has helped improve herd health. In conjunction, antibiotic feeds have been used unethically by some parties to promote weight gain or to compensate for sub-par management practices. Research has shown and concluded that overuse of antibiotics increases resistance to their effectiveness in the long run. Therefore, it is important for human and animal health to only use antibiotics when disease is a present threat (not just suspected) and in an ethical manner.

There are many ways to stop disease before it starts and they have been identified for livestock producers in quality assurance (QA) guidelines. To quote the Good Production Practices (GPP) factsheet, “It is every animal owner’s responsibility to assure that proper management and welfare are at the core of animal care.” There are ten core GPPs:

  1. Use an appropriate veterinarian/client/patient relationship as the basis for medication decision-making.
  2. Establish and implement an efficient and effective health management plan.
  3. Use antibiotics responsibly.
  4. Properly store and administer animal health products.
  5. Follow proper feed processing protocols.
  6. Establish effective animal identification, medication records and withdrawal times.
  7. Practice good environmental stewardship.
  8. Maintain proper workplace safety.
  9. Provide proper animal care.
  10. Utilize tools for continuous improvement.

These are the core guidelines for herd health. Inevitably, disease will still get through our barriers on occasion. When it does consult your veterinarian about how to treat the herd, whether it be with medication, isolation of infected animals, or improved practices. The best things you can do in preparation for VFD implementation in 2017 is to establish and maintain a relationship with your veterinarian and follow QA guidelines.

Veterinary Feed Directive-FAQs

Effective January 1, 2017 livestock producers will need a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) to purchase feeds/supplements that contain “medically important” antibiotics (antibiotics used for both animal and human medicine), including tetracycline, penicillin, neomycin, and others. The implementation of this federal policy sparks many questions within the livestock community. Here are 10 common questions:

  1. What is a VFD? A VFD is a written statement from a veterinarian which authorizes the use of antibiotic feeds for a specific situation. While this sounds like a prescription, by definition it is not. The main difference is that a prescription must be filled by a pharmacist, while a VFD does not.
  2. Why do we need VFDs? Within the multitude of producers, there are a handful who have used these feeds as a crutch to support sub-par animal husbandry practices or to take advantage of the increased feed efficiency linked to the feed, rather than to treat, prevent, or cure disease. Over use of these antibiotics increases the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
  3. Can I stockpile feed before January 1, 2017? You should not. If you notice, the tags on these feeds already state that they should not be fed without a VFD and when 2017 begins the policy is effective whether the feed was purchased before or after January 1st. If misuse of the feeds is discovered, the producer will be reprimanded. In turn, if a retailer sells the product without a VFD from the buyer, both parties will be reprimanded.
  4. If I get a VFD and follow the rules, does it mean that when I finish the treatment regime I have to discard the leftovers and buy a new bag next time? No, you can keep the product until it expires, but you must have a valid VFD to feed it at any time. VFDs do expire.
  5. Can my vet renew my VFD? Yes.
  6. How long do I have to keep record of my VFD? You, your vet, and the retailer should all keep a copy on file for at least 2 years and it should be accessible upon demand from the FDA.
  7. What do I need to do before January 1st? Maintain your relationship with your veterinarian. If you do not already have a relationship with a vet, establish one.
  8. How much does a VFD cost? There will be cost associated with a VFD, although there is no set price. Cost will depend on the circumstance and your relationship with your veterinarian.
  9. Are there exceptions to obtaining VFDs based on the number of livestock in consideration? Whether you intend to offer these feeds or supplements to one animal or your whole herd, you still need a VFD which explains the scope of the situation.
  10. How can I learn more about VFDs? Visit http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm455413.htm or talk with your veterinarian.

The information in this article is adapted from the words of Dr. Justin Kiefer, DVM at The Ohio State University and announcements from the Food and Drug Administration.

Buttercup in Bloom

There is a plant out there in the Ranunculaceae family known as buttercup.  Buttercup can come in many forms whether it is an annual, biennial, or even perennial it can be a major detriment to livestock in pasture fields.  I was in a May stroll a few days ago when I noticed a bright yellow flower with 2-3 lobed leaflets with deep clefts.

Buttercup 3buttercup 2

I did what any good Ag Educator would do and snagged up a good sample (roots, leaves and flowers) to key out on my front porch. On a side note, the best time to key a plant is when it is in bloom so that blooming time is available to you.

I identified it as Ranunculus caricetorum also known as the marsh buttercup.  This plant does well in low woods, swamps, marshes, and poorly drained areas like around water springs.  Buttercup is a toxic plant in pastured areas if animals ingest it fresh.

Buttercup grows aggressively in patches and has a corm base. Corms are essentially compressed bulb like bases that store a lot of food reserves and thus make this plant hard to get rid of through mowing alone.  I will say that mowing and preventing the plant from going to seed will help keep it from spreading however.

Buttercup 4

The toxin that this plant produces is called protoanemonin. This toxin is oil based and found in the fresh plant stem, it causes irritation and blistering of the skin, lining of the mouth and digestive tract.  Fortunately, if buttercup is baled and dried in hay the toxin becomes inert and will not irritate the livestock.  To livestock, the plant is bitter and animals will avoid eating it.  If the plant overtakes a field however it can become a problem if livestock do not have anything else to eat, especially during the summer months of slow forage growth.

Buttercup is sensitive to most broadleaf selective herbicides used in pastures such as 2,4-D and dicamba products. It also grows in clusters so spot-treatments are a good way to get it under control.

Feeding Livestock and Managing Forage Waste

11-1-14 Cows Grazing-Mom's

Stockpiling forage for winter feed was fairly limited this year in our area due to dry soil conditions when most stockpiling growth should have occurred. More stored forage will be required this year and feeding hay has started much sooner than in recent years for many producers.

 

Loss, associated with feeding hay to livestock, may be much more than just storage loss if precautions are not taken to reduce waste during the feeding operation. Feeding loss is a product of many things. Trampling, leaf shatter, quality deterioration, fecal contamination, and refusal are all things that contribute to waste. One must expect some hay loss during feeding, but the amount of loss may be reduced through good management practices and proper planning.

 

Feeding losses have been shown to range from less than 2 percent, where great care was taken, to more than 60 percent when no attempt was made to reduce hay loss. A loss of 3 percent to 6 percent would be considered normal, but good management practices must be in place to accomplish this.

 

Feeding hay throughout various paddocks from moveable racks or wagons promotes distribution of manure rather than concentrating it in one location. Many types of feed bunks, bale rings and other equipment are available today, but the ones which keep hay from contacting the ground generally reduce waste the most. A dry, well‑drained or frozen site should be chosen for feeding hay when possible. Limiting hay fed to a one‑day supply, with enough space for all animal to eat at the same time, helps reduce waste.

 

Some managers like to feed several bales in one area, which allows them to select a convenient feeding location and minimizes the area of sod killed. However, this eventually results in muddy conditions, often promoting weed pressure. It may also result in soil erosion or soil compaction. If these conditions are encountered, it is very likely that the area used will be unproductive for forage growth much of the following year and weed growth may be a problem. If this occurs, weeds should be controlled before they go to seed.

 

Unrolling large round bales is a practice which many of our producers have implemented where terrain and or equipment permit. If this method is used, only unroll enough feed for one day’s supply or use an electric wire over the middle of the unrolled swath to prevent trampling and bedding on the food source. Moving to a new area each feeding promotes even manure distribution and this type nutrient management will help produce more forage next year.

Crop Photo

Many producers use the unrolling` method to promote re‑seeding in places with sparse vegetation. Unused forages help to increase organic material and fertility in these feeding areas. Feeding priority of various hay lots should also be considered when using the feed. Hay exposed to the elements/outdoor should be fed first to reduce loss.

 

Separating livestock into smaller groups with similar nutritional needs is recommended. The highest quality hay should be fed to young, growing livestock or lactating animals. Lower quality hay should be used for livestock with lower nutritional needs, such as bulls and non‑lactating cows. Sending samples to a laboratory for forage analysis is recommended so actual nutritional values are known.

 

If you have low quality hay, a good way to use it is to combine it with forage in stockpiled paddocks. Most stockpiled grasses, when fed in a timely manner, contain higher protein levels and more total digestible nutrients than many lots of hay which were harvested in the summer. If you are going to place round bales in stockpiled forage, use a front electric wire to limit livestock’s access, thereby controlling waste of the stockpiled forage and the round bales.

 

A heavy use feeding area, constructed of concrete, geotextile cloth and stone, or other suitable material, is a good place to feed livestock when conditions are very wet, muddy and not suitable for feeding in your fields. Using heavy use areas at proper times reduces pugging and injury to forage plants in the paddocks.

 

Whatever feeding method is used, your management decisions determine the impact to the land on your farm. Establishing good management practices can alleviate unsightly problems, reduce soil erosion, increase water quality, increase forage production and boost profit margins.