Producers Take Care Today to Protect Tomorrow

Headlines like “Battle of the Bugs” and “New Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug Found” aren’t pretty, but pork producers’ Take Care – Use Antibiotics Responsibly™ program is promoting the careful use of antibiotics to preserve animal health and protect public health.  The Take Care program is designed to demonstrate that producers are proactively addressing concerns about antibiotic use in pork production.

“This Checkoff-funded program is also helping producers improve the management of their pigs, and they may end up with a healthier herd and reduced production costs,” says Liz Wagstrom, assistant vice president of science and technology for the National Pork Board.

The first industry-wide program of its kind, Take Care is a voluntary program available to all producers.

“We recognized the concerns associated with the use of antibiotics in pork production, analyzed the way they are used in this industry, consulted with producers and subject-matter experts and developed a reference manual on antibiotic use for producers and veterinarians,” said Dave Culbertson, a pork producer from Geneseo, Ill., and past president of the National Pork Board.  “The program is practical, yet it is based on sound science.”

Putting words into action
The Take Care program outlines five Responsible Use Principles, including:

1. Take appropriate steps to decrease the need for the application of antibiotics. Work with your veterinarian to develop a comprehensive herd health program, Wagstrom says. “Using good management and preventative strategies, such as biosecurity programs, hygiene, comprehensive herd health and vaccination programs can help reduce the need for antibiotics.”

2. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of all uses of antibiotics. Advantages could include improved animal health and welfare, or increased performance. Wagstrom says. “However, we also need to consider potential disadvantages such as the development of antibiotic resistance.”

3. Use antibiotics only when they provide measurable benefits.  Use science based data to determine if antibiotic use is providing a measurable benefit.  “Periodically assess whether you need to continue using antibiotics, especially if your herd health or management changes,” Wagstrom says.

4. Complete the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) program and fully implement the management practices described for responsible use of animal health products into daily operations. “Make sure to keep written records of all medication uses,” Wagstrom says. Records should include identification of the treated animals, the drug, how it was administered, the withdrawal time, and the name of the veterinarian prescribing the drug.

5. Follow the Take Care Responsible Use Guidelines. These include using professional veterinary input as the basis for all decision making; using antibotics for treatment only when there’s an appropriate clinical diagnosis; limiting antibiotic treatment to ill or at-risk animals; using antibiotics only after careful review and reasonable justification; and minimizing environmental exposure through proper handling and disposal of all animal-health products, including antibotics. “Another guideline notes that mixing injectable or water medications, including antibiotics, by producers is illegal,” Wagstrom says. “For example, it’s illegal to mix an antibiotic and iron together on the farm when you’re processing piglets.”

Learn more
The Take Care program is detailed in a 24-page booklet producers can order by calling the Pork Checkoff Service Center at 800-456-PORK. It is also available online at pork.org.