I was reading the November/December 2011 Issue of the New York Beef Producer from the New York Beef Producers’ Association today. Ron Kuck, a New York Dairy/Livestock Extension Educator with Cornell had a nice article on page 28 regarding the importance of working with your herd veterinarian. Kuck suggests working with a veterinarian to develop a “health management strategy and preventative medicine, rather than just relying on them for emergencies.”
So why do I care about livestock health? After all, I am a lawyer. Because of livestock animal cruelty laws. As I stated in this post, I believe that every livestock producer should have an ongoing relationship with a veterinarian, an extension specialist (and well, a lawyer). A livestock producer should memorialize recommendations, noted improvements, and animal sickness. If you were ever going to have problems with alleged livestock animal cruelty, these relationships and records will be invaluable to your livestock operation.
So reach out to your herd veterinarian and build a life-long relationship.