Oliver Moore: Optimising health of organic livestock
Teagasc’s 2016 publication ‘Organic Demonstration Farm Walk’ for the March 10 walk on John Purcell’s farm can be found under ‘events’ on the Teagasc website. And the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association’s 2015 ‘Beef and Diary Livestock’ document is downloadable from its website’s news section.
Much is covered in both, and I highlight some animal healths tips here.
In general, both documents, and all the organic literature, emphasise a prevention rather than cure dimension to organic husbandry. This is in part to encourage the development of healthier animals, but also because, simply put, there are fewer escape options for organic farmers.
Conventional medications often are permitted, but in restricted form, sometimes only with veterinary permission and then also with longer withdrawal periods.
Prevention of disease on an organic farm is a broad, well-planned process. The Teagasc publication’s health section, written by Kerry vet Paddy Fenton and Teagasc’s Dan Clavin emphasises:
* High levels of biosecurity on the holding.
* Selection of appropriate breeds and strains of animal.
* Animal husbandry practises appropriate to the needs of each species, encouraging strong resistance to disease and the prevention of infections.
* Provision of high- quality feed, including regular access to grazing to encourage natural immunological defence in the animal.
* Appropriate stocking densities reducing stress on animals.
Setting up stress-free, comfortable circumstances for the animal is key; and key to doing this in the development of a herd health plan.
According to IOFGA, “By producing a plan, farmers can demonstrate they are aware of what will be required of them under the organic standards in terms of livestock health management.” The herd health plan should:
* Identify all significant potential livestock pest and disease problems.
* Outline how you intend to prevent their occurrence.
* Outline treatments to be used should they occur.
* Identify how you intend to improve overall herd-health and reduce reliance on veterinary treatments.
They also emphasise the importance of getting “advice from their veterinary surgeon in developing the plan, although this is not a formal requirement”.
Both documents list common health or health-related questions on housing, feed, veterinary inputs, fecal testing, controlling worms and flies, and more.
An animal cannot be allowed suffer in the organic system — so if required, after other methods have failed, some conventional methods or inputs are allowable, subject to conditions and veterinary supervision.
Any treatment involving non-organic conventional medicines involves checks and balances. At the end of a treatment process, withdrawal periods are important to note. It’s worth outlining those for beef:
* Three times the legal withdrawal period — a legal withdrawal of six days would then see an organic withdrawal period of 18 days.
* For legal withdrawal periods of 19 to 28 days — the organic withdrawal period is 56 days.
* For legal withdrawal periods of 29 or more days — twice the legal withdrawal period applies.
For all other types of treatment, there are similar restrictions. For animals for meat consumption, one course of antibiotics is allowed within a 12-month period; two courses allowed for breeding and dairy mastitis.
Planning, prevention, permission and pause seem to be the recurring take-home animal health messages. It’s also good to know, for the 500 plus new entrants to the Organic Farming Scheme, there are some fallbacks.
