By Dr. L D Barker
Livestock producers who use medications in feed to prevent and treat certain disease conditions will soon be required to work with their veterinarian to create a protocol for those supplements. The USDA mandated veterinary feed directive (VFD) goes into effect January 1, 2017 and Newcastle veterinarian Dr. L D Barker says it will ultimately benefit a producer’s bottom line.
“I think this mandate kind of brings around a method that we can work together for their economic advantage as well, and our job is to enhance health and reduce costs,” he says. “That’s our whole goal as veterinarians is to reach out and do that.”
The first step, Barker says, is developing a relationship between the rancher and veterinarian.
“We need to know about their operation, whether it’s at the clinic or at their site or their facility,” he says. “We’ve got to know that and have the ability to go there and understand their whole program - their ins and outs of it - and what’s happening there to really help them.”
Barker says livestock nutritionists also play a vital role in herd health and profitability.
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