Farm & Ranch
What are VFD regulations?
By Jessica Crabtree and Dr. Jered Harlan
Prior to 1996, there were two methods for dispensing new animal drugs: over the counter or prescription. In ‘96, congress enacted the Animal Drug Availability Act (ADAA) to facilitate the approval and marketing of new animal drugs and medicated feeds. As part of that, Congress recognized that certain new drugs intended for animals should only be administered under the supervision of a veterinarian. Their reasoning? Veterinarians are needed to control the use of certain antimicrobials. This is critical for reducing unnecessary use of such drugs in animals and to slow or prevent any potential for the development of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Furthermore, safety concerns, relating to difficulty of diagnosis of disease, high toxicity and other reasons may dictate that the use of medicated feeds be limited to veterinarian supervision. To read more pick up the November 2015 issue of NTFR.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.
Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
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