Ranchers Must Have Veterinary Directive For Medicated Cattle Feeds

Beginning the first of the year, cattlemen who regularly use medicated feed for performance enhancement will be limited. That’s the “meat” of the message from Dr. Michael Apley, professor of clinical sciences at the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan. More than 170 ranchers were informed at the Beef Producers Information Seminar, hosted by WIBW and coordinated by longtime farm director Kelly Lenz. Apley discussed meaning of the Food and Drug Administration’s new Veterinary Feed Directive as highlight of a two-part seminar kicking off the Flint Hills Beef Fest at Emporia. Tracy Brunner, Ramona rancher who serves as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, also reviewed activities of that group on behalf of Flint Hills ranchers’ profitability. The Veterinary Feed Directive, or VFD, was originally enacted under the existing Animal Drug Availability Act of 1996. It labeled certain drugs as Veterinary Feed Directive Drugs, which are antibiotics that are also used to treat human illnesses. The VFD is enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and only applies to feed grade antibiotics, medicines administered to animals in or on feed, and will ultimately rule out its use in growth promotion and feed efficiency. “The biggest change is you’re going to have to work with a veterinarian before feeding these medicated feeds,” Apley said...more