Veterinary Feed Directive

By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist
Your relationship with your veterinarian is very important when it comes to creating a successful calf-rearing program. To improve efficiency and make sure you both are on the same page, you should ask your vet these questions.

By Donovan Nelson, Vita Plus formulation specialist
Veterinarian Feed Directive (VFD):  It has been a buzzword in the livestock and feed industries to kick off 2017.

How has implementation of the VFD rule gone thus far? It might depend on who you ask, but it has taken a team effort between veterinarians, livestock producers and feed distributors alike – which is ultimately the intention of the law – to ensure judicious use of animal antibiotics.

Consumer concern about antibiotic resistance has pushed major food processors, distributors and retailers to restrict or eliminate antibiotic use in the production of their foods.  That same pressure has pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take a new approach in regulating the use of antibiotics in livestock feed.

By Dr. Al Schultz, Vita Plus vice president of technical services

Question:  How will the new VFD rules affect my calf program?

Answer:  We hear considerable argument about the factors contributing to the loss of antibiotic efficacy and the role animal agriculture plays in it.  In general, the public has been led to the conclusion that antibiotics are overused in agriculture and contribute to the resistance problem. Critics of our current regulatory framework have called for the removal of all antibiotics from livestock production. Meanwhile, many food retailers and restaurants are offering products produced from animals that are “antibiotic-free,” hoping to appeal to a market segment attracted to these claims.