Times, they are a changin'

[parrotman]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health...,5961524.story

While I rarely use antibiotics, it's a safety net I like knowing is there without the recommendation of my vet.
I see problems for some farmers.

[Clovers_Clan]

A better route would be to go directly after the Megaloagrabiz Corporations to regulate their production practices. Thats where the real problem lies! While feed stores do sell medicated feeds(which I avoid), its not the small farmers that are shooting up their animals. They don't need to, its the crowded CAOs that depend upon the bulk of the antibiotics. This step doesn't level the playing field, it simply restricts "people" while enabling "corporations".

[BethW]

Clovers Clan, I couldn't agree more.

[where I want to]

So I've been reading and still don't know if that means no catalog antibiotics or not.

[Goatsandsheep]

Another point of view. I agree about the Corporations. On the other hand you have people who do livestock shows and use penicillin for the same reason. We had lambs test positive for penicillin last year at your county fair. I do agree the only people that this will hurt is the honest ones.

[parrotman]

The little farmer is the one who is going to hurt.

[Waiting Falcon]

Growth enhancers are to my way of thinking....greed. One of my former neighbors started using them and got 25 lbs more per calf. He has maybe 50 head of heifers and cows.

Those that aggressively show livestock ad definitely abused the hormone.

Drugs as a general rule weaken the immune system. They should be used ONLY when necessary. If you have animals that are constantly in need of medication...you need to look at your management or a hard look at your stock to see if they are plain poor
do-ers and need to be culled.

They are only now beginning to find how long medications stay in meat...you are what you eat.

I think it is a shame that the government has to tell folks to lay off the medications......
It is something we should think about ourselves and take care of the problem.

[Backfourty,MI.]

There's been talk about this for awhile now but hadn't heard anything about it lately, I thought maybe that's all it was....was just talk.
I do think it will hurt the little & honest guy the most!

[Clovers_Clan]

Restricting antibiotics to prescription means you and I will have to go to a vet to get a prescription to TREAT a single sick animal while one vet on the staff of a huge operation can essentially write a carte blanc prescription medicating literally thousands of animals who are not sick under the pretense of "treatment" in order to continue the abuse of growth enhancement. And then there is the whole other issue that animals on CAOs under the stress of confinement and filth are unable to remain healthy without constant medication. SHAMEFUL!