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Webinar to address FDA decision on antibiotics use in food animals

URBANA, Ill. – On Dec. 11, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced important steps to ensure the judicious use of antibiotics in food animals as one approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance in human medicine.

In an effort to clarify what this ruling means to livestock producers and other industry professionals, members of the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois will offer a webinar to address the new rules on Tues., Jan. 28 from noon to 1 p.m.

The discussion will cover what the new steps mean to the livestock industry, what they don’t mean, and how producers and others should respond. The webinar will be presented by professor emeritus James Pettigrew and professor Hans Stein.

“This announcement is not a surprise; it has been anticipated for several months,” Pettigrew said.

Pettigrew explained that while the FDA’s approach to antibiotic use in food animals had been published previously, the new documents issued this month describe the implementation of that approach.

“The documents address only those antibiotics considered important in human medicine, which are all of them except the widely-used ionophores and a few others,” Pettigrew said. “The new rules apply only to antibiotics used in feed or drinking water.”

The core of the FDA’s approach includes:

  1. No use of these antibiotics for production purposes (to improve growth rate or feed efficiency).
  2. All uses of these antibiotics must be under veterinary oversight.
  3. Disease prevention is specifically recognized as an approved judicious use of antibiotics.

Source: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS


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Drone Flight & Baling Success at Last!

Video: Drone Flight & Baling Success at Last!

Drone Flight & Baling Success at Last!

After weeks of rain delays and frustration, we finally have a reason to smile — it’s hay time again at Ewetopia Farms! In today’s episode, we head out to the fields where Arnie is baling hay, and I attempt my second drone flight to capture it all from the air. The drone still had some hiccups, but I managed to get some aerial footage of the baling process.

Back at the farm, the work doesn’t stop. Arnie brings the bales home, and the next critical step begins — wrapping and stacking the bales to make haylage. This process is essential for preserving feed for our sheep and ensures they have nutritious forage in the months ahead.

It’s a good day on the farm — the sun is out, the drone is flying (sort of!), and we’re making progress. Join us for a satisfying and productive day that brings a long-awaited sigh of relief to this year’s challenging hay season.

?? Let us know in the comments: Have you had to deal with weather delays this season?

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