Health Strategies for Organic Dairy Farms

Abstract

The number of dairy farms which manage their livestock as certified organic is increasing. Common animal health conditions that farmers and practitioners see often have a bacterial, viral or parasitic basis. The USDA Certified Organic program specifies livestock feed, living conditions, health care, and pasture standards as well as providing a list of synthetic inputs allowed for use for health care. With restrictions on treatments allowed, it would help farmers, technicians, and practitioners to know how to approach problems on organic farms and also to know what is allowable to use when needing to treat cases. This presentation aims to provide veterinarians and technicians with an awareness of the general philosophy towards raising animals on organic dairy farms as well as utilization of alternative therapies which are understandable to medically trained professionals.