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Summary
The NOP Standards for health care practices cause concern among many producers as they first consider the organic transition. Organic standards require antibiotics to be used if necessary, but stipulate that any animal so treated be permanently removed from the organic herd or flock. Many other conventional veterinary treatments are also prohibited under organic rules. Synthetic medications must be used in compliance with §205.603 of the Standards.
Organic health care practices focus on promoting animal health, rather than on treating disease. Choosing well-adapted breeds and individuals, practicing good sanitation, offering high-quality feed and forage, and providing clean and appropriate housing are all required elements of an organic livestock health care plan. Use of vaccines and other immune-building practices (such as feeding colostrum to calves) are also invaluable.
Limiting internal and external parasites is a key challenge of organic livestock management. Careful pasture rotations, diatomaceous earth, permitted dewormers and close observation are all important methods.
You may wish to do some more work on your Organic Livestock Plan while the health care standards are fresh in your mind. In the next lesson, we’ll talk about organic requirements for livestock living conditions.
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