Nothing focuses the mind more on antibiotics use than knowing that if you don't get it right the first time, you could have to wait four times as long before you can sell milk from that cow. For producer Nigel Vicary, moving from conventional to organic production has initiated a complete change in mindset about how he uses antibiotics and helped cut new mastitis infection rates significantly. However, Mr Vicary explains that improvements to medicine use haven't just been due to milk contract choice. A complete system overhaul, which has included a reduction in cow numbers, increased acreage and a focus on cow environment, has reduced stress and driven down infection pressures. He also praises the daily attention to detail of his staff.
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