Background, experience and perceptions of antibiotic use of individuals treating cows on Californian dairies

Abstract

The large size of dairy operations in California (average herd size of 1,200 cows/dairy) creates large demands for hired help. Most dairy employees on California dairies are of Hispanic ethnicity with little formal training on animal husbandry. Communication issues on these dairies have been documented between upper management and individuals administering antibiotic treatments to calves. This could result on treatment protocols (as decided by veterinarians and owners) not being followed by the dairy employee. The objective was to describe the involvement of owners and veterinarians on fresh cow evaluations, and to identify who the fresh cow evaluators requested advice from. The identification of influencers is key to design an effective outreach program.