Bovine veterinarians' perspective on organic livestock production in the USA

Managing organic dairy herd health: Current roles and possible future roles for veterinarians with organic dairy clientele

This study aimed to understand the veterinary-client relationship and perspectives in organic dairy production systems. Twenty-three organic dairy producers and 12 veterinarians were interviewed using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. Consultation with local veterinarians was typically infrequent, as there was greater reliance on other producers and organic industry professionals for advice on dairy herd health management, perhaps due to a shared focus on organic farming principles. Organic producers generally consulted local veterinarians most frequently to develop vaccine protocols, address animal health emergencies, and gain reproductive services. Common reasons organic producers cited for not regularly consulting a local veterinarian included the cost of veterinary services and a perception that local veterinarians have limited experience with organic systems and products. Some producers also expressed the idea that infrequent veterinarian usage is indicative of a healthy herd. Meanwhile, local veterinarians reported that organic dairy producers often delayed consulting them about individual cases until animal health problems were severe. Local veterinarians also identified challenges in servicing organic herds, such as the lack of standardized regulations between different organic certifiers and limited safety and efficacy data for many herd health products used by organic producers. In addition, their formal training generally did not include organic herd health strategies. Organic dairy clients were typically a small fraction of the overall workload for local veterinarians, which precluded their ability to accumulate experience. In contrast, a handful of specialized veterinarians in the organic milk processing industry work more frequently with organic producers and have published most of the available resource materials on organic dairy herd health. Veterinary-client partnerships could be improved through more open communication and discussion of the challenges identified in this study and through participatory research and outreach engagement that includes local veterinarians, organic certifiers, organic industry veterinarians, and producers.

Alternative Practices in Organic Dairy Production and Effects on Animal Behavior, Health, and Welfare

Simple Summary

The basis of livestock farming is preventing disease and improving animal welfare and well-being. Organic dairy farmers have very few options for the treatment of diseases and for the mitigation of pain in dairy calves and cows. Calving may be stressful for first-lactation cows because they must adapt to many different situations when they are milking. Alternative therapies to improve animal welfare must be researched in organic livestock production to verify that their use improves animal well-being. This review provides a brief background on organic production systems, illustrates current understanding of pain management for disbudding dairy calves, and discusses managing transition heifer behaviors and udder health to improve organic livestock well-being.

Abstract

The number of organic dairy farms has increased because of the increased growth of the organic market, higher organic milk price, and because some consumers prefer to purchase products from less intensive production systems. Best management practices are expected from organic dairy farms to ensure animal health and milk production. Organic dairy producers typically transition from conventional systems to avoid chemicals and pesticides, enhance economic viability, improve the environment, and increase soil fertility. Organic dairy producers respect and promote a natural environment for their animals, is also an important component of animal welfare. Organic producers have few options to mitigate pain in dairy calves. In the United States, therapies to mitigate pain for disbudded organic dairy calves are regulated by the US National Organic Program. Organic producers regularly use naturally derived alternatives for the treatment of health disorders of dairy calves, heifers, and cows. Alternative natural products may provide an option to mitigate pain in organic dairy calves. Despite the reluctance to implement pain alleviation methods, some organic farmers have expressed interest in or currently implement plant-based alternatives. Efficacy studies of alternative remedies for organic livestock are needed to verify that their use improves animal welfare. Non-effective practices represent a major challenge for organic dairy animal welfare. The relationship between humans and animals may be jeopardized during milking because first-lactation cows may exhibit adverse behaviors during the milking process, such as kicking and stomping. The periparturient period is particularly challenging for first-lactation cows. Adverse behaviors may jeopardize animal welfare and reduce safety for humans because stressed heifers may kick off the milking unit, kick at milkers, and display other unwanted behaviors in the milking parlor. This may reduce milking efficiency, overall production, and ultimately reduce the profitability of the dairy farm. Positive animal welfare is a challenging balancing act between the three overlapping ethic concerns. Identifying animal welfare deficits in organic livestock production is the first step in capitalizing on these opportunities to improve welfare.

Alternative Medicines on the Farm: A Study of Dairy Farmers' Experiences in France

Despite being of debatable efficacy, alternative medicines are in regular use on both organic and conventional dairy farms as part of a strategy for limiting the on-farm use of antibiotics. The study presented here examined French dairy farmers' understanding of and experiences with these medicines, focusing on homeopathy, aromatherapy and phytotherapy. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach combining animal science and sociology, we considered how dairy farmers' use of alternative medicines fits into a holistic approach to herd health management, on the one hand, and into farmers' networks of professional relationships, on the other. Our findings show that farmers are interested in alternative medicines for reasons that are at once technical, ethical, and economic. In the absence of local veterinarians specializing in homeopathy and aromatherapy, farmers enroll in short-term training courses to learn how to use these medicines. Alternative medicines are not a substitute for conventional medicine for these farmers; rather, they constitute one part of a holistic approach to herd health that combines preventive measures with a variety of curative treatments, and which is grounded in close attention to the animals' state of health. Farmers make use of guidelines for observing livestock that are central to the veterinary alternative medicine approach. Interestingly, women farmers appear to play an important role in introducing these practices into the management of the farm operation. Finally, farmers' interest in alternative medicines is indicative of their broader expectations for advice and support in moving toward the integrated management of livestock health, a key element of the agroecological transition. Recognizing these expectations offers useful insights for rethinking the role of veterinarians in dairy farming.

Efficacy of Broilers as a Method of Face Fly (Musca autumnalis De Geer) Larva Control for Organic Dairy Production

The objective of this study was to evaluate Freedom-Ranger broiler chickens as a method to control face fly (Musca autumnalis De Geer) larvae in cow dung pats on pasture. Ninety-nine pats in three replicates were inoculated with first-instar larvae and exposed to one of four treatment conditions for 3 to 4 days: (1) an environment-controlled greenhouse (GH); (2) pasture without broilers (NEG); (3) pasture with 25 broilers stocked at a low density of 2.5 m2 of outdoor area per broiler (LOW); and (4) pasture with 25 broilers stocked at a high density of 0.5 m2 of outdoor area per broiler (HIGH). Broiler behaviors and weather conditions were recorded twice daily. Survival rates of larvae (mean, 95% CI) were similar for pats in the NEG (4.4%, 2-9%), LOW (5.6%, 3-11%), and HIGH (3.2%, 2-7%) groups, and was greatest for larvae reared in the GH (54.4%, 36-72%) group compared to all other groups. The proportion of broilers observed pasture ranging was 14.0% (6-28%) but was negatively related to solar radiation. Broilers were never observed foraging in pats. Results indicate that use of broilers may not be an effective method for controlling larvae of dung pat breeding flies.

How target-orientated is the use of homeopathy in dairy farming?-A survey in France, Germany and Spain

Background

Veterinary remedies are intended to support animals in their recovery from diseases. Treatment outcome depends not only on the general effectiveness of the remedies themselves, but also on other prerequisites. This is true for antibiotics, but even more so for treatments with homeopathic products which are characterised by their individualised approach. While the effectiveness of homeopathy has been addressed in various clinical control trials, the practical conditions under which homeopathic products are used on dairy farms have not yet been investigated. This study provides an initial insight into the existing prerequisites on dairy farms for the use of homeopathy (i.e. the consideration of homeopathic principles) and on homeopathic treatment procedures (including anamnesis, clinical examination, diagnosis, selection of a remedy, follow-up checks, and documentation) on 64 dairy farms in France, Germany and Spain. The use of homeopathy was assessed via a standardised questionnaire during face-to-face interviews.

Results

The study revealed that homeopathic treatment procedures were applied very heterogeneously and differed considerably between farms and countries. Farmers also use human products without veterinary prescription as well as other prohibited substances.

Conclusions

The subjective treatment approach using the farmers’ own criteria, together with their neglecting to check the outcome of the treatment and the lack of appropriate documentation is presumed to substantially reduce the potential for a successful recovery of the animals from diseases. There is, thus, a need to verify the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments in farm practices based on a lege artis treatment procedure and homeopathic principles which can be achieved by the regular monitoring of treatment outcomes and the prevailing rate of the disease at herd level. Furthermore, there is a potential risk to food safety due to the use of non-veterinary drugs without veterinary prescription and the use of other prohibited substances.