Know more

Reducing the use of antibiotics in pig farming is a major challenge for the industry. However, it must be achieved without compromising animal health and well-being as well as farm profitability. Little information is available to describe the effectiveness of measures to achieve this.

An intervention study to evaluate alternative measures to antibiotics (vaccinations, changes in husbandry) was carried out on 70 farms in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. In agreement with the farmer, the veterinarian proposed an action plan specific to each farming situation. The farms were monitored for one year, during which the use of antibiotics and technical performance were recorded. Compliance with the recommended measures was also evaluated. In 33 farms for which sufficient information was available, the economic impact of the intervention was calculated by taking into account the variation in the margin on feed costs and the cost of the intervention (i.e. cost of the measures and possible cost reductions).

Following the interventions, the incidence of antibiotic treatment from birth to slaughter was significantly reduced (median value: - 47% in the sample). This reduction tends to be positively correlated with compliance with the recommended measures (which was good in our sample). Technical performance was not significantly degraded and the economic impact of the interventions was mainly linked to the variation in technical performance induced (the cost of the measures themselves having little influence).

It is therefore possible to significantly reduce the use of antibiotics without affecting technical and economic performance by defining an appropriate intervention plan following a relevant diagnosis of the situation on each farm.

Economic impact of interventions to reduce the use of antibiotics in 33 Belgian and French livestock farms © Inra, C. Belloc

Partners: this work was carried out by the UMR Inra-Oniris within the framework of the European project MINAPIG (Evaluation of alternative strategies for raising pigs with minimal antimicrobial usage: opportunities and constraints) of the ERA-Net EMIDA programme.

Associated publication : Collineau L, Rojo-Gimeno C, Leger A, Backhans A, Lösken S, Olkhom Nielsen E, Postma M, Emanuelson U, grosse Beilage E, Sjölund M, Wauters E, Stark K, Dewulf J, Belloc C, Krebs S. , 2017. Herd-specific interventions to reduce antimicrobial usage in pig production without jeopardising technical and economic performance. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 144 : 167-178.

Contacts

Scientific contact:

•  Catherine Belloc UMR BIOEPAR

Associated Department: Santé animale

Associated Centre: Pays de la Loire