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Tell us about the impact on VFD rules on your herd

We would like to learn how the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rules that went into effect January 1, 2017 have affected your management as well as the health of your animals. Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension and other Land-Grant Universities nationwide, is conducting a survey of farmers who raise and manage dairy or beef cattle, pigs, sheep or goats. We want to learn about changes that have occurred, in response to the VFD rules, in terms of your use of antibiotics, health of your herd and, in your relationship with your veterinarian.

The survey is open from now until April. All responses are confidential and your participation is voluntary.
The survey can be completed either online (https://z.umn.edu/ExtensionVFDsurvey) or via paper form

We anticipate that it will take 10-15 minutes to complete. Your thoughtful answers, with examples, will provide good information used by Land-Grant Extension professionals to design educational programs that help food-animal producers.

This survey is only for farmers over the age of 18 who raise food-animals impacted by the VFD rules. Farmers in every state are invited to respond to the survey. The findings will be analyzed by specie type (that is, for beef producers, swine producers, etc.), and by region of the country, and will be shared with Extension professionals in your state.

FDA implemented the VFD policy changes with the goals of: 1) promoting the judicious use of antibiotics, 2) protecting public health and 3) helping to limit the development of antimicrobial resistance. This policy change was in response to widespread concerns about the rate of development of resistance to common antimicrobials by disease pathogens for both humans and food animals.

Key questions to be answered are what the impacts of those changes have been on health management of herds and herd performance. The responses of food animal producers will help to answer those key questions.


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