Animal farmers

Several incidents have occurred because similar names were confused. The famous case involving Nutrimaster (a food additive for animals) and Firemaster (a fire retardant) is w ell known. The two materials were supplied in similar bags. A bag of Firemaster, delivered instead of Nutrimaster, was mixed into animal feeding stuffs, causing an epidemic of illness among the fami animals. Farmers and their families were also affected [3]. 

Monso E et al. (2004) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in never-smoking animal farmers working inside confinement buildings. Am J Ind Med 46(4) 357-362 Morell F, Orriols R, Molina C (1985) Usefulness of skin test in Farmer s lung. Chest 87(2) 202-205 Morris DG (2003) Gold, silver, and bronze metals, medals, and standards in hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 168(8) 909-910... 

HS(G)86 Veterinary medicines safe use by farmers and other animal handlers... 

Early Neolithic peoples domesticated the more productive local plants, cared for them m densely planted plots, protected them from animals and other plants (weeds) and haiwested the results. Likewise they tamed, bred and cared for local animals and ate them as they deemed fit. In the cases of cattle, horses, sheep and goats, milk and its products became staple foods. In some places larger domestic animals became beasts of burden. For very sound ecological reasons, agriculture allowed even early farmers to lib-... 

Farmer, A., Cade, B.S., Torres-Dowdall, J. (2008). Fundamental limits to the accuracy of deuterium isotopes for identifying the spatial origin of migratory animals. Oecologia, Vol. 158, pp. 183-192. (http //dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1143-6)... 

Dermal Effects. There have been no reports of adverse dermal effects associated with exposure to endosulfan in humans. When tested in farmers, endosulfan did not cause contact dermatitis (Schuman and Dobson 1985). Studies in experimental animals have shown that dermal exposure to endosulfan is only slightly to moderately irritating at relatively high doses (Hoechst 1983b, 1985c, 1985d, 1989b Industria Prodotti Chimici 1975). 

Veterinary Medicines - Safe Use by Farmers and Other Animal Handlers... 

Data on safety have been obtained from in vitro as well as in vivo animal and human studies (see also Section 10.4). About 50 years ago, Australian farmers observed an infertility syndrome in sheep associated with the consumption of clover species (Bennets et al., 1946). The clover compounds shown to cause the infertility (genistein, daidzein, equol, biochanin A, formononetin) were members of the isoflavone family (Bradbury and White, 1951 Shutt and Braden, 1968), raising the question of whether soy might cause infertility in humans (see also Section 10.4.9). A variety of reports further supported adverse effects of isoflavones on animal reproductive systems (Santell et al., 1997 Flynn et al., 2000a,b). 

Meili (2002) confirms this from Switzerland. Organic beef sells very well in the biggest supermarket. The consumer pays 10% to 15% more for the meat and the farmer receives 40% more for the organic animal than for the conventional. The favoured cross for quality organic beef is the Limousin crossed with a dairy breed. This cross can be slaughtered at 550 kg liveweight to make a 300 kg carcass. 

It should be emphasised that if animals are suffering then the farmer is encouraged to use the most effective veterinary method for alleviating suffering as quickly as possible. However, attention to husbandry, nutrition and stress factors will markedly reduce the incidence of disease. 

The organic farmer needs all the farmyard manure that his animals produce it is a valuable commodity for maintaining the fertility of his land, it is free and he cannot use most of the faster acting artificial fertilisers. 

By housing cattle overwinter and composting the farmyard manure, the organic farmer has ready access to a balanced fertiliser that can be spread where most required. The grazing animal does not actually import fertility onto the farm but it does recycle nutrients where it grazes and provides a source of manure when housed. This is as true of sheep, pigs and poultry as of cattle. The only problem with outdoor pigs is that they tend to rip up pastures. 

The control of internal parasites in sheep is acknowledged to be one of the harder problems in the management of both organic and conventional enterprises. The organic farmer is allowed to dose any animal that is seen to be suffering from parasitic infection, but only those animals that are suffering, not the whole flock. The animals that... 

The farmer and restaurant may work together to promote the produce used. For example, the restaurant could provide leaflets containing information on the produce, farm source and animal welfare. 

Meat producers often experience difficulty co-ordinating the complex management of production, processing, delivery and sales system required to target the restaurant market. Compared with wholesalers, individual restaurants do not use large quantities of meat. It would be advantageous for the farmer to be near a large metropolitan area with numerous restaurants. Access to a variety of restaurants will allow the farmer to use up more of his animal. The norm is for the farmer to establish a route and deliver once or twice a week. The farmer could also sell meat bones to chefs who appreciate the quality for soup stock. 

So there is no question of organic animals suffering, without proper treatment. The problem for the organic farmer is that stringent experiments testing herbal and particularly homoeopathic remedies have not been carried out. Evidence of their efficacy comes therefore from farm treatment with no controls. 

Halliday, G. (1990) Animal Health and the Organic Livestock Producer. New Farmer and Grower, 28, 14-16. 

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