The orthodox medicines predominantly used in conventional farming tend to treat the symptoms rather than the causes of diseases. In organic farming, on the other hand, we prioritise preventive measures that prevent animals from becoming ill in the first place.
Nevertheless, even organic animals become ill from time to time. When this happens, organic farmers must first try natural remedies such as medicinal herbs, homoeopathy and acupuncture.
There are very strict requirements when it comes to using antibiotics and other common medicines on organic animals:
- Antibiotics may not be used preventively.
- The number of possible doses of antibiotic medicine is limited (maximum of one dose for animals that live up to one year old and maximum of three doses for animals that live over one year old (except for vaccines and anti-parasite medicines)).
- If antibiotics are used, the animal may only be sold after two times the statutory waiting period.
- If an organic animal is treated with antibiotics more than once in a year, its produce can no longer be sold as organic or Naturland-certified. Animals that live for over a year may be treated a maximum of three times. These animals then have to be re-converted to organic.
As a consequence, organic farmers only use antibiotics when they have exhausted all other options.
