Prøve GULL - Gratis

Tips To Reduce Antibiotic Usage

Farmer's Weekly

|

April 19, 2019

Rising concern over antibiotic resistance is forcing livestock producers across the world to change their production management practices. Dr John Patience explains to Glenneis Kriel how pig producers can benefit from reducing antibiotic usage.

Tips To Reduce Antibiotic Usage

Lowering antibiotic usage is easier said than done, as it usually coincides with a drop in farm margins. Dr John Patience, a professor in animal science specialising in pig nutrition at Iowa State University in the US, says this is primarily due to higher mortalities, but also because, as production becomes more labour-intensive, pigs take longer to reach slaughter weights and require more vaccines and floor space to thrive than conventionally produced pigs.

The general trend, therefore, is not an outright ban on antibiotics, but a shift away from using them as growth promoters. In addition, disease treatments are becoming more focused.

“Where blanket treatments might have been given preventively in the past, the idea now is to treat only sick individual animals when the risk of infection is high,” he says. “Group treatments are seen as a last resort when all other alternatives have been exhausted.”

Greater emphasis is also being placed on correct diagnostics to ensure the right antibiotics are used at the right dosage to treat specific diseases.

The dosing procedure is also kept as short as possible, which is why antibiotics are increasingly delivered in water rather than feed. This is easier and simpler, and sick pigs tend to drink water rather than eat, especially after weaning.

BIOSECURITY AND HYGIENE

A multidisciplinary approach involving improved genetics, animal husbandry and nutrition, as well as better health management, building engineering design and operation, is required to offset the negative spin-offs of lower antibiotic usage. Patience, however, places hygiene and biosecurity at the top of this list.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Cannabis and marketing in South Africa

The path from cultivation to commercial success remains complicated by regulatory ambiguity. Cultivators who master compliant marketing while delivering verifiable quality will build sustainable businesses, says Thomas Walker.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Foot-and-mouth disease project targets waste reduction and regulatory reform

A groundbreaking research collaboration between Red Meat Industry Services, the University of Pretoria, and global animal health leader Zoetis is aiming to transform South Africa's approach to foot-and-mouth disease.

time to read

3 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

What to expect in 2026

The world faces a complex interplay of economic, geopolitical, environmental, technological, and social pressures.

time to read

3 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

How drones are revolutionising pest and disease detection in agriculture

Drones are reshaping modern crop protection by giving farmers a powerful new vantage point: the sky. With advanced sensors, high-resolution imaging, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics, these unmanned aerial vehicles can detect early signs of disease, water stress, and pest damage long before the human eye can. Jedrie Harmse spoke to agricultural drone specialist Monique Heydenrych.

time to read

7 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Generic advertising in perspective

Dr Koos Coetzee explains how industry organisations and the agriculture sector actually have the ability to prudently manage the negative perceptions surrounding generic advertising campaigns.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute celebrates excellence

The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute marked a major milestone in December 2025, conferring over 200 agricultural qualifications, including bachelor's degrees and various national certificates.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Grain SA issues guidelines as poor-quality agri inputs threaten farmers livelihoods

Grain SA has urged South African grain and oilseed farmers to act fast when seeds, fertilisers, or agrochemicals underperform, providing clear guidelines to protect crops.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Vegetable price trends as we enter the new year

This analysis by Zama Sangweni explores how five key vegetable commodities, cabbages, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes, performed, considering recent supply volumes and consumer demand patterns.

time to read

2 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

University of the Free State's cutting-edge research to save the giraffe from extinction

The University of the Free State has launched a first-of-its-kind giraffe research facility, creating a groundbreaking, low-stress environment where standing procedures, as well as reproductive and physiological research, can be conducted on habituated giraffes. Annelie Coleman reports on the initiative.

time to read

5 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Farmer's Weekly

Farmer's Weekly

Joburg Fresh Produce Market needs a 'refresh'

South Africa's fresh produce markets are vital to food security, supplying up to half of the nation's fruit and vegetables. Protecting and modernising these markets is essential for a resilient, equitable food system writes Marc Wegerif, senior lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Pretoria.

time to read

4 mins

January 16-23, 2026

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size