This is why we use antibiotics.
The normal temperature of a calf is around 101°.
She is coughing a little and has pneumonia.
Some consumers are unnecessarily concerned about antibiotics in their food that they think no antibiotics ever is the only safe way.
That is false.
First of all, if one of my animals is sick, I care enough to treat her. By the time she grows up, has a calf and is milked it will be impossible to find any trace of antibiotics.
Also, if a milking cow is sick and treated, she is removed from the group and put into the hospital pen. She is milked and her milk is dumped.
Every load of milk leaving our farm is tested for antibiotics. If the milk contained any, it would be dumped. There is no possible way for antibiotics to be in your milk. Don’t pay extra for a label stating that.
If we have to sell a cow that has been treated, we must hold her until the amount of time that the drug company deems has passed. There are inspectors at the slaughter house to make sure no meat is harvested with drugs.
Don’t pay extra for labels stating “antibiotic free” because all meat and milk is free of antibiotics.
By the way the calf is better. She is no longer sick.
Here is a great article: http://ag.alltech.com/en/blog/debunking-some-antibiotic-myths-us
