Healthy cows - The natural way
An EU project has studied methods for minimising the use of medicine in organic dairy herds. The secret seems simple: focus, ownership, good planning and husbandry.
The concept of organic dairy farming includes the ambition of maintaining high quality cow health and welfare. However, practical experience and research studies have shown that organic certification is not an automatic stamp of approval with regard to the health and well-being of the animals.
- Lack of awareness and education can prevent proper implementation of organic regulations. In addition, farming conditions and traditions are vastly different across Europe, so squeezing all organic farmers into the same set of uniform rules and regulations without adding important husbandry practices which are adjusted to the context, is doomed to meet with difficulties., says Mette Vaarst from the Department of Animal Health and Bioscience at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University.
An EU project led by Mette Vaarst and with the participation of six other European countries has investigated if active and well planned animal health and welfare promotion and disease prevention can be effective in minimising medicine use in organic dairy herds.
The project approached the problem from several angles. The scientists have developed animal health and welfare planning principles for organic dairy farms under diverse conditions based on an evaluation of current experience. They have assessed health and welfare based on the WelfareQuality parameters in different types of organic dairy herds across Europe and they have developed guidelines for communicating animal health and welfare promotion in different settings.
A stitch in time saves nine
A core finding of the project is that good planning and animal husbandry is at least as important as any set of rules and regulations. Timely assessment of animal health and welfare by the farmer can disclose potential problems before they get out of hand, thus improving the well-being of the cows and reducing the need for treatment with medicine.
- We have demonstrated how to carry out a conscious and well thought out planning process and that it actually does lead to improved herd management and can reduce use of antibiotics in a variety of situations under different conditions, says Mette Vaarst. It is crucial for this process that the farmer is focused, takes ownership and directs the development.
Based on practical farm experience and results from the study, the scientists suggest the following recommendations for health planning on organic dairy farms:
Aim at continuous development including evaluation of current status, plans and action
Be farm specific
Emphasise farmer ownership
Involve external persons
Include external knowledge
Based management on an organic principle framework
Make a written plan based on the farmer’s conclusions
Acknowledge the good aspects
In some of the partner countries animal health planning is being increasingly promoted and implemented in both the organic and conventional livestock sectors. In the United Kingdom health planning is compulsory.
