Antibiotic usage on farms is set to become stricter. From January 2022, there will be major changes to Irish agricultural practices.
Many of the antibiotics used in human health are the same ones used to treat animals, so protecting these antibiotics is important.
Overuse of these antibiotic may cause them to become ineffective and lead to major issues for human health.
Antibiotic usage
When dairy farmers talk about reducing antibiotics on farms. Their first thought is often about drying-off cows and the introduction, or increase of the use of selective dry cow therapy (SDT).
However, speaking at the recent Munster Bovine webinar, Dr. Doreen Corridan commented on antibiotic usage on farms and the need for a reduction in use across the board.
Commenting on this, Dr. Corridan said: ” When farmers talk about reducing antibiotic usage on farms, a lot of people just focus on SDT.
“We need to look across the board in terms of antibiotic usage on farms.
“To reduce antibiotic usage on farms, it is important to get to know the antibiotic – particularly the critically important ones.
“Focus on reducing the use of these antibiotics on-farm. Some farmers are using some SDT and think they are doing great, but then in the rest of the herd they are using one of the critically important antibiotics.
“The first thing I would say to farmers is to get to know the antibiotics and try avoid using the critically important ones.”
Prevention better than cure
Dr. Corridan then said that farmers should not just focus on SDT: “Focus on the calves, a lot of antibiotics used on farms – particularly the critically important ones – are used to treat calf pneumonia and scour.”
Commenting on this further, Dr. Corridan said: “That poor performer within the herd as a cow may be traced back to sick calves.
“Finally, the vast majority of antibiotics used in cows are used in the first month after calving, so controlling infection at that stage is important.
“We have learned a lot from Covid-19 and how important vaccinations are to reduce infection and the spreading of disease,” Dr. Corridan concluded.