The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) released its position statement on programs that tout that animals were raised without antibiotics. In short, the AABP encourages producers and practitioners using these programs to always put the health and welfare of cattle FIRST.
Source: Beef, March 28, 2018.
The pressure on beef producers and their veterinarians to use fewer antibiotics and to use them judiciously will only increase. “Animal welfare is one of our primary obligations as veterinarians,” says Mike Apley, BEEF Vet’s opinion columnist and AABP president. “We are not making any kind of statement as to the acceptability of these programs, [with the position statement] but rather how veterinarians can best work with producers in raised without antibiotics programs to ensure animal welfare is at the forefront.”