Successful dairy farmers work hard to prevent disease, but sometimes cows develop illnesses that require the use of antibiotics or other pharmaceuticals. The use of drugs in animals that produce food is highly regulated, and consumers expect residue-free products. While most milk and dairy beef is produced from healthy, residue-free animals, when drug residues occur, they are usually the result of mistakes in usage of a product or a result of communication failures. The best way to maintain and minimize the risk of residues is to work closely with your local veterinarian and make sure everyone who administers drugs understands the regulations.
In the August 10, 2015 Hoard’s Dairyman article There’s no excuse for irresponsible drug use, UW-Extension Milk Quality Veterinarian Pamela Ruegg shares the steps in minimize the risk of antibiotic residues.
For additional information regarding responsible drug use on dairy farms, please visit UW-Milk Quality Antibiotic Drug Residue Resources which includes videos on making responsible choices about antibiotic drug usages as well as the most recent research conducted by the UW-Milk Quality Team.
UW-Milk Quality promotes an integrated, team-based approach to best manage udder health and milk quality. Producing high quality milk is not a one-person job. It takes farmers and their local dairy advisors to be able to evaluate, manage and improve milk quality. At UW-Milk Quality, we develop tools and resources to help dairy producers meet their milk quality goals and increase farm profitability.
For more information regarding milk quality, please visit UW-Milk Quality or contact UW-Extension Milk Quality Specialist Pam Ruegg. Additional videos regarding milk quality can be found at the UW Milk Quality Channel on YouTube. For more information regarding milking systems, please visit UW Milking Research and Instruction Laboratory or contact UW-Extension Milking Systems Specialist Doug Reinemann.