"Organic" - again

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Earl Thigpen

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Milkmaid wrote

As far as vaccines go... I don't give anything until 2-3 months of age. Before that, maternal antibodies from passive transfer (read that as, 'colostrum that calves received') interfer with building immunity to vaccines. In other words, you'd be wasting your money to vaccinate those calves right after birth.

Also... vaccines are not medication. There's no problem with marketing vaccinated animals as "natural". Even organic regulations permit vaccination. Medication would be along the lines of antibiotics.

I don't want to start a long discussion on this subject - it's been covered several times but it was my understanding, and I've asked the specific question several times, that to qualify as having "organic" or "natural" beef, antibiotics were not allowed. So if that is true what in a vaccination would cure an ailment in a calf (like pneumonia sp) if not an antibiotic? I'm not trying to be a smart a$$, I truly want to understand this. The vaccine I use every year contains not one but I think two antibiotics (I'll have to look).
Please PM me because like I say I don't want to kick this off again.

Thanks
 
Well... how specific do you want me to get? :p

Antibiotics are a substance that inhibits bacterial growth or reproduction. Only effective against bacteria -- not viruses (such as BVD, IBR, etc) or protozoa (ie crypto, coccidiosis, etc).

Vaccinations are a small dose of killed, live, or modified-live bacteria or viruses that are given to the animal in an effort to stimulate the immune system to build up immunity to that particular organism.

Giving an animal a vaccine isn't medication; you're not medicating the animal, rather you're deliberately exposing him to a disease or pathogen to force his immune system to respond... so that when his immune system is confronted with "the real thing", it is ready to defend the animal. Make sense?

If you want to get technical, yes, most vaccines do contain a miniscule amount of antibiotic as preservative.

However, most vaccines are fine to give to certified-organic animals. Personally, I wouldn't dare raise animals organically if I couldn't have them on a strong vaccination program; I suspect that's why vaccines are on the okay list for organic animals.
 
milkmaid":2njiwm0g said:
Well... how specific do you want me to get? :p

Antibiotics are a substance that inhibits bacterial growth or reproduction. Only effective against bacteria -- not viruses (such as BVD, IBR, etc) or protozoa (ie crypto, coccidiosis, etc).

Vaccinations are a small dose of killed, live, or modified-live bacteria or viruses that are given to the animal in an effort to stimulate the immune system to build up immunity to that particular organism.

Giving an animal a vaccine isn't medication; you're not medicating the animal, rather you're deliberately exposing him to a disease or pathogen to force his immune system to respond... so that when his immune system is confronted with "the real thing", it is ready to defend the animal. Make sense?

If you want to get technical, yes, most vaccines do contain a miniscule amount of antibiotic as preservative.

However, most vaccines are fine to give to certified-organic animals. Personally, I wouldn't dare raise animals organically if I couldn't have them on a strong vaccination program; I suspect that's why vaccines are on the okay list for organic animals.

Thanks for the informative reply. I have been discussing whether "organic" beef can be vaccinated. I totally agree with you that animals must be vaccinated. I went to look at buying some cattle the seller said were "organic"....they may have been organic but they looked sick to me. Pinkeye in a couple, mucous dripping, etc....even a beginner like me could see that.

Vaccinations and good hygiene/on grass so far have not required any antibiotics in my small herd. But if they need them they will get them. Most of us would not withhold antibiotics from our children if they needed them.

Some buyers are hung up on the "organic" label. I think they need to realize that cattle are a very different situation from field crops and vegetables. jmho.
 
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