Less is More

As a pig farmer, it is my responsibility to care for each one of my animals to the best of my abilities. I also must do so in a way that is consistent with food safety and human health, too. That’s why I’ve taken a “less is more” approach when it comes to antibiotic use on my farm.

We don’t use any antibiotics in the finishing phase of our pig farm and we use very little in the nursery when the pigs are small. It’s important to us to minimize our antibiotic use, and only use them strategically during times when the pigs need it most and when recommended by our veterinarian.

However, it would be extremely challenging to eliminate antibiotics altogether. That’s because pigs, just like us, do get sick from time to time and need this kind of medication to get better. We’ll always do what’s necessary to make sure our pigs feel their best again soon if they become ill.

One of the ways we work to minimize antibiotic use is to take preventive measures to keep our pigs as healthy as possible. In the last year, we closed our herd to new introductions to improve herd health. We’ve brought in approximately eight- to ten- months’ worth of breeding stock, to minimize new animals coming into the farm. Then, we vaccinated these pigs all at the same time to get them all on the same page health-wise. This is important since pigs are a lot like kids in daycare. When one gets sick, everyone gets sick, so we want to prevent that as much as possible.

There’s proof that our health strategy is working, too. We recently completed a National Animal Health Monitoring Survey, or NAHMS, a program that sets benchmarks for pork producers and the treatments they give their pigs. We’ve found we’ve already reduced the amount of antibiotics we use within our herd. So, while there is always room for improvement, it feels good to know we’re moving in the right direction — less medication used and healthier pigs can become reality.