Antibiotics Use in Agriculture

Consumers wanting to know more about antibiotics use in animal agriculture should go straight to the source – America's farmers and ranchers.

Before Joan Ruskamp became a cattle feeder, she was first a consumer with little knowledge of the feeding business.

"I didn't understand a lot of the 'why behind the what' that was going on, and living as a farmer for 37 years, as a cattle feeder, I have had my eyes opened and so I understand why consumers don't know, when they haven't been exposed to it and they haven't lived it."

The responsible use of antibiotics is also important.

Feeder and veterinarian Carter King oversees millions of head of cattle and trains workers to distinguish sick cattle from healthy ones.

"Antibiotics, just as they're required in humans, they're also going to be required in anything with a beating heart that has the ability to contract an infectious disease. And it's our job. It's our oath that we took as veterinarians to care for those animals because they can't care for themselves in that situation. We don't want these animals to get sick. We do everything in our power, whether it be welfare-wise, cattle movement-wise, cattle handling-wise, to decrease the incidence of those cattle that do get sick. The antimicrobials that are administered today are for prevention, treatment and control of disease."

You can learn more from the National Institute for Animal Agriculture or head to animalagriculture.org