Regenerative Agriculture Practices Provide Benefits for Ruminant Health

Regenerative Agriculture Practices Provide Benefits for Ruminant Health

Have you noticed recently that cows and sheep graze on grass? Regenerative agriculture is becoming more and more popular. So what can veterinarians do to help clients who want to preserve soil biodiversity and health?

Last year, the BVA issued a statement on sustainable animal production, noting that “the veterinary profession is well-positioned to advise and influence system-wide practices for sustainable animal production”, recommending that "sustainable animal health policy should also include the use of natural resources." ".conservation and preservation of wildlife, habitat, and biodiversity."

Many agricultural systems can provide ways to reduce emissions and conserve natural resources, but this article focuses on regenerative agriculture and presents a simple veterinary perspective. The following is a summary of the latest scientific evidence on this topic, with some input from farmers and researchers using the regenerative approach.

What is regenerative agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a set of principles aimed at increasing the stability of ecosystems and mitigating the effects of climate change. These include ways to improve soil health and promote biodiversity. Regenerative agriculture has the same principles as organic agriculture. However, not all organic farms can be considered regenerative and vice versa.

The success of regenerative agriculture is focused on results such as an increase in organic matter in the soil and an abundance of insects. and each company is likely to have a different approach based on soil type, local climate, and production objectives.

How to attract veterinarians?

Often these indicators of improvement are visually monitored, allowing veterinarians to provide data and analysis tailored to your client’s operation and consistent with their goals and values. The transition to regenerative agriculture can be a difficult time with many changes and visible risks, and the involvement of veterinarians can help monitor animal welfare and production during this time.

The veterinarian and farm team can record, correct, and monitor the results until a workable and viable system is developed. Regeneration is complex and continuous; It covers all parts of an ecosystem, from nutrient and water cycling to soil organisms, plant species, wildlife, and animals. Any type of farm can include regeneration methods, but this article will focus on cattle and sheep.

The regenerative solution to the problem of parasitic burden

Veterinarians can participate on the farm by redefining pest management practices in regenerative agriculture. Reducing the use of anthelmintics is important to reduce the impact of resistance on animal performance and well-being.

The use of anthelmintic drugs (especially avermectins) can also lead to a decrease in the number of invertebrates such as beetles. These insects feed on soil foam, which forms organic matter, improves soil health, and reduces the need for fertilizer

They also disrupt the nematode life cycle and carry mites that eat the fly larvae. Alternatives to chemotherapeutic anthelmintics are of interest to scientists, and there is a large body of literature evaluating potential solutions.

Many pasture-adapted plants produce concentrated tannins and secondary metabolites such as sesquiterpene lactone, which effectively reduces the internal parasitic load. In vivo studies have shown that feeding alfalfa with chicken bones, onion, and chicory reduces the number of gastrointestinal worms in cattle and sheep.

Sheep infected with multidrug-resistant H. contortus larvae fed cucumber pellets had 50% fewer eggs in their droppings than infected sheep fed a control diet. Multigrass grasses (e.g. planted in crop waste) containing these and other plant species have been shown to reduce pest stress on animals. This may be because this lawn variety contains anthelmintic compounds. Different grasses have been shown to reduce the number of anthelmintic treatments needed in the pasture of sheep groups compared to more traditional pastures with perennial rye and clover.

Willow meadows (Silvo meadows) can also have a positive effect on ruminant pest control. Willows (Salix spp.) Contain concentrated tannins, and one study found that sheep-fed willows had fewer H. contortus and T. circinate. Other “regenerative” pest control techniques are being explored using the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans, which has the potential to be used as a deworming feed additive.

There are plans to test SRUC in Scotland this year and researchers are looking for volunteer farms. For those who cannot change their lawn drastically, an extended grazing period of two to six months has been shown to reduce exposure to field worms. This may be suitable for popular farms that graze cattle and have enough space to support such a large turnover.

Resistance and resistance to pests are hereditary traits, and reproduction of these genes is another way for companies seeking to control their pest burden. However, this requires good performance and team integration with individual siblings, and it will likely take many years to see the result of replacing them with a harmonious herd.

In the treatment of animals, injectable or bolus anthelmintic drugs are preferred because they are less resistant to feces, and the use of avermectins should be avoided as much as possible. Ideally, treated animals should only be kept for a short time to prevent the spread of resistant worms on the farm and to protect invertebrates from anthelmintic residues.




The standard recommendations published by SCOPS and COWS for herd weighing, fecal egg counting, hardness testing, and shelter population protection remain the foundation of good pest management planning and do not conflict with the above alternatives. Fecal egg counts are a good starting point for collaboration with farmers experimenting with regenerative methods, as the effectiveness of different methods can be tested.

Nutritional Benefits of Different Pastures

In addition to its potential anthelmintic properties, the wider selection of pastures can provide an enhanced mineral and nutrient profile with chicory, sea buckthorn, sheep parsley, yarrow, and saffron, and it is deep-rooted and provides calcium, calcium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. . and soil potassium. Alfalfa, alfalfa, and scallops are rich in protein, and plants with concentrated tannins, such as clover and ash, linden leaves, and mulberry, bind the protein to the fat core and increase intestinal protein absorption.

Pastures can provide zinc, selenium, and vitamin E, and pastures can provide up to 55% of cattle feed and up to 76% of sheep. Bella Lowes, a Devon farmer, noticed that a calf with a common problem preferred to graze on pasture, and Nikki Yoksall, a farmer from the northeast of Scotland, noticed that her cattle preferred the hawthorn, birch, and birch at different times of the year. . Rowan. Animals can choose plant species that contain active ingredients such as concentrated tannins and natural antimicrobials.

Floodplain provides many ecosystem services, and studies have shown that they can store more carbon in the soil than some forests, as well as provide nutritious winter hay for stock and wintering animals.

These pastures need to be cut down for maintenance and are therefore ideal as winter food. Floodplains collect nutrients from floodplains, and a study by ecologist Vicki Bowskill examines how plants absorb these nutrients during the summer months to find the best time to cut down straws to prevent the growth of weeds on flowers and plants.

Increasing productivity and health through regenerative agriculture

Different pastures can make the pasture more stable and provide grass in bad weather. They can also provide more crude protein than restricted herbs. Sheep that are repeatedly grazed may have higher body weight, maintain body position between calving and weaning, have a higher laying rate, lower neonatal mortality, and faster growth. of sheep than polycystic ovary lambs. Increased final weights and average daily extra are shown for pasture cattle and chicory for cattle and sheep.

Dairy cows can perform well with more grazing diversity: Cattle grazing on white clover and alfalfa produce higher milk yields than cattle grazing on grass pastures. Pasture rotation increases pasture productivity, and farmer George Hozier found that moving cattle between pastures often made it possible to record weight and track growth as the cattle moved. around the yard.

Silvo provides shade under willows and offers cooler temperatures than open pastures, provides shelter in wet and inclement weather, and has not been shown to increase the risk of mumps infection, con in popular belief. Studies have shown lower respiratory rate, body temperature, and chewing speed in cattle and sheep in wild pasture compared to open pasture.

Reproduction for health is essential for the regenerative agricultural system. Climate flexibility and reproductive capacity are characteristics considered important for low-cost systems. Although it is difficult to maintain the high production of dairy cows on pasture, they can also have relative health benefits, for example, the use of such aids can make them “healthy”, can promote holistic cattle breeding.

Crossbreeding increases genetic diversity in the herd and provides hybrid vitality. In dairy cows, it can increase milk production and quality by up to 6% and fertility and lifespan by up to 15%. Genetic diversity is generally valued, as attempts to commercialize “species” of animals suitable for agricultural regeneration are seen to violate the principles of continuous adaptation to the local environment.

The Pasture Association surveyed 59 farmers and reported that 66% of respondents believed animal health had improved since the change from the previous management system. Farmer Sam Newington found that after switching to regenerative farming, he used fewer antibiotics, deworming agents, and committed suicide, and farmer Chris Brown found that his drug use decreased, increasing grazing time and reduced risk of respiratory disease.

The Pen Rashbass is regeneratively bred, herds multiple pastures with a flock of Hebridean sheep, and adheres to strict biosecurity and slaughter protocols to maintain a high level of health. The flock was tested as part of a football research project managed by the University of Warwick and all samples taken were pathogen-free. For some, regenerative approaches will result in a shift in production methods toward lower costs, which may require careful selection and rotation of inventory. In some systems, animals are more seen as a land management tool, with client revenue derived from environmental standards and farm welfare.




Thus, small, hardy, slow-growing breeds (sometimes endemic or rare) may be more suited to year-round grazing and therefore more preferred. For example, Grimblethorpe Hall in Lincolnshire prefers a pack of genuine red Lincoln for their long winter hair and easy shipping.

The development of desired traits in a herd requires an understanding of the purposes of breeding, and in some systems, the maintenance of rare genetics may precede production traits. However, the selection is important for sustainability and performance should not be sacrificed with careful selection.

So what can veterinarians offer to farmers in the field of regenerative agriculture?

At the time of this writing, the implications of the new farm bill are far from clear, but it is clear that “public goods” such as clean air, water, biodiversity, and animal welfare play an important role and many farmers will be able to control their own. adjustments.

Nationwide business plans respectively. With the development of intensive animal production, veterinarians have found the opportunity to be an integral part of the farm team, interpreting performance data for clients. Similar opportunities exist for regenerative farmers because veterinarians can play a very important role as transition advisors to help maximize animal welfare during systematic change. This trick can be:

Recommendations for shading, shelter, and clean water for pastoral systems

Make comprehensive pest management plans

Comprehensive herd health planning, taking into account appropriate species measures for grazing and wintering

br />
Feed monitoring and farm replacement recommendations

Sludge analysis and measurement of soil invertebrates and other common production and remediation measures

Decision Support and Multiplication Strategies

Biosecurity and management of wildlife-wildlife interactions

With the support of some funds in the wildlife and rivers region, opportunities can be taken to meet the requirements of supermarket contracts or farm safety programs that require monitoring of ecological biodiversity and soil health.

Farms looking to improve soil health may consider including animals in the rotation, which provides grazing opportunities for producers and veterinarians to support and advise these networks.

When working with farmers who already have regeneration systems, it is important to understand their goals and work with them. If only the breeder uses regenerative methods in place, he or she may feel a misunderstanding between him, his colleagues, and the veterinarian.

By following their goals, stronger relationships will be formed so that farmers can trust their veterinary services and veterinarians can be the first source of information.

Before starting regenerative agriculture, it is a good idea to talk to consultants who are already working in the field and may have received some training. It is important to have the right mindset because the methods may be useless unless the whole farmer group is together and understands the basics.

Flexibility is important and each operator must adapt the applications to their system. The veterinarian’s role is to communicate hazards, intervene in animal welfare, coordinate transportation, and rearing arrangements.

Animal health hazards to watch out for:

Excessive consumption of plants containing secondary metabolites can cause poisoning. Make sure the fields have enough grass and balance to meet nutritional needs.

Overwintering can lead to weight loss and decreased immunity in susceptible animals. Carefully choose breed and conditions, always provide shelter and shelter if animals get sick

Bad weather conditions can lead to reduced sod yield and farmers should have a contingency plan in place for forage and forage if necessary. Water and shelter are needed everywhere

Make sure your herd health plans include preventive measures and treatment options that will be used as needed.

The last word from some of the veterinarians who take the lead in supporting their clients for regenerative agriculture.

Alexandra Tomlinson, Veterinarian, Wildlife Consultant, and Chair of the Vet Sustain Food and Farming Task Force, said regenerative agriculture is a complex subject and you need to work with a holistic mindset that encompasses complex systems to fully maximize the methods. Understanding the nutritional needs of ruminants is an important element in ensuring their health.

A well-designed pasture variety can provide a wide variety of nutrients, exhibit natural selective feeding behavior and self-repair, and produce nutritious food.

Rob Howe is a farm veterinarian and founding clinical director of LLM Farm Vets. As a member of the Vet Sustain Food and Farming Task Force, he strongly believes that veterinarians have the potential to understand and address environmental, animal, and human health issues.

Rob has developed veterinary services for both regenerative and traditional farming clients, stating that veterinarians who apply these principles will lead the way in promoting animal health and welfare in sustainable and regenerative systems. of animal husbandry, which brings great benefit to society as a whole.

This is a growing area as new research emerges and gives veterinarians a great opportunity to promote animal health as part of a healthy environment for all.