3.1 Introduction

“Intellectuals solve problems. Geniuses prevent them.”
Albert Einstein

The use or non-use of antibiotics, anti-parasitic drugs, synthetic hormones, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) distinguish USDA-certified farms from alternative farms. Organic farms prohibit all the above-listed substances. In comparison, alternative farms prohibit one or more of the same listed substances.

Without the ability to use conventional drugs, prevention becomes crucial. Not being able to use conventional treatments can increase the risk of disease spread if disease enters a herd through the introduction of a sick animal or on a fomite, like the shoes of a visitor, and can have devastating results.

At the same time, organic and alternative (O/A) farms’ unique aspects can decrease their herds’ infectious disease risks. The unique elements that can reduce these risks include the increased likelihood of O/A farms being smaller, keeping a closed herd, and having less human traffic of people with regular animal or farm contact. This includes veterinarians, nutritionists, and feed delivery (Pieper et al., 2014). In addition, farms that practice management-intensive grazing by allowing livestock to be outside, moving, exercising, and directly on land increase the immune system’s ability to fight infectious diseases. Regardless of the direction of the risk, due to the treatment option restrictions that come with farming in an organic or alternative way, greater emphasis must be placed on disease prevention (Sorge et al., 2016; Sorge et al., 2019). As a result, organic regulations stress the importance of sanitation practices for disease prevention (Coffey & Baier, 2012).

In deciding what disease prevention actions to consider, livestock farmers and ranchers need to consider the risks inherent in managing their livestock species and decide to address the risks they consider practical. When the benefits outweigh the costs, this strategy makes sense to farmers. Brainstorming and helping farmers and ranchers think through the likelihood of disease risk and its impact if the worst happens can be a valuable exercise. This is a crucial role veterinarians, technicians and extension can play on O/A farms. Work with your clients to determine if the focus might best be targeted toward common diseases or potentially devastating diseases, such as foreign animal diseases (FADs). Thoughtful management at key points in the movement of animals and people can greatly reduce losses. It can also prevent farms from becoming a risk to others. At least yearly discussions help farmers keep their animals healthy in a changing world.

Disease prevention is a benefit of keeping an animal’s immune system strong and is usually more cost-effective than treating disease. With this in mind, this chapter emphasizes practices focusing on animal health. These practices include genetics, nutrition, and lowered stress. We will also discuss using vaccination and parasite prevention tools (with some restrictions), the unique considerations of foreign animal disease (FADs), cleaning and disinfection, and emergency and disaster planning.

One of the best strategies farmers and ranchers can have is adaptability. Because each region, farm, and year is different, no protocols, practices, or rules that apply in all situations. This gives farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians a lot of strife as they hope to reach for a set of best practices they can follow. Basic principles can act as a guide, but what is needed is for both vets and farmers to stay in touch with changing situations and adapt their efforts to balance with what they are experiencing locally. Tools are available to help reduce the risks of disease introduction and spread on organic and alternative farms. Close watch over animals, their health, and productivity can help determine the necessary tools.

Not surprisingly, various interwoven elements, conditions, and practices support health and disease prevention. We present this information in that good management, husbandry, and stockmanship on all types of operations, including organic and alternative ones, is the foundation of disease prevention!

The questions presented after each section can be used as conversation starters with your organic and alternative clients. These questions are gathered and included in the Animal Health Conversation Starters handout.