Assessment of veterinarians’ engagement with backyard poultry and small-scale livestock operations in four western states

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To assess veterinarian engagement with owners of poultry and livestock in urban and peri-urban areas (UPAs) of 4 western states, to evaluate the knowledge and experience of veterinarians in UPAs for treating domestic poultry and livestock, and to identify barriers to the provision of veterinary services to backyard poultry and small-scale livestock operations. SAMPLE 880 veterinarians in UPAs. PROCEDURES 2,400 members of the veterinary medical associations of California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington who worked in metropolitan areas with a population > 5,000 people were randomly selected and invited to participate in a needs assessment survey. Response data were analyzed with univariable logistic regression and multiple correspondence analysis. RESULTS 880 (37%) invitees completed or partially completed the survey. Most respondents self-reported working in UPAs (686/825 [83%]) and companion animal only (n = 551) or predominant (211) practices. Although most (656/863 [76%]) respondents perceived an increase in backyard poultry and livestock in their practice areas, few were actively treating such animals primarily because of a lack of facilities, interest, or experience. Most respondents believed veterinarians have an important role in ensuring public health and preventing zoonotic disease. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Backyard poultry and livestock are increasing in popularity in UPAs of 4 western states, and veterinarians are needed to provide services to such animals. Further research and continuing education are necessary to encourage practitioners in UPAs to engage with owners of backyard poultry and livestock to ensure the health and welfare of those animals and guard public health. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2020;257:196-209)

Assessment of the knowledge and behavior of backyard and small-scale producers in California regarding disease prevention, biosecurity practices and antibiotics use

“…Around half of respondents still used antibiotics on animals by their own decision (52.9%) and purchased directly from feed stores (36.5%) or online shops without the oversight of a veterinarian (14.6%). Many livestock farmers agreed with the effort of veterinarians to reduce the use of antimicrobials of public health importance in food-production animals worldwide [ 10 , 24 , 33 , 34 ]. However, there were many barriers limiting the access to veterinary service for backyard farmers, such as the additional cost of veterinary care, small number of animals, additional recording-keeping and time required, and distance to veterinary service who was highly trained on livestock species in a backyard farm (e.g., backyard chicken and small ruminants) [ 4 , 25 , 27 , 32 ].…”

“…The rapid growth of peridomestic or backyard livestock and poultry “farming” in urban and peri-urban areas poses challenges associated with disease control in backyard premises due to the lack of access to adequate veterinary care for technical information and knowledge of disease prevention and biosecurity procedures [ 4 ]. Moreover, infrequent or lack of veterinary oversight may lead to inappropriate treatments and poor animal health and welfare [ 10 , 11 ]. In a recent survey in four US western states, only 43% of small-scale and backyard livestock owners sought veterinary care in the past year, with concerns for infectious and parasitic diseases as the most common reasons.…”

“…The access to veterinary care showed differences by their location (e.g., state and urban or peri-urban setting) and species owned [ 4 ]. As a consequence, the sources of information about disease prevention and biosecurity procedures and how to perform treatment and procedures, sought by small-scale and backyard livestock owners have mainly been from the internet (81.8% and 70.7%, respectively) rather than veterinarians (61.5% and 58.0%, respectively) [ 4 , 10 ].…”

Salmonella Hadar linked to two distinct transmission vehicles highlights challenges to enteric disease outbreak investigations

“…Investigation of outbreaks of genetically related isolates might identify a discrete source of contamination to target interventions for preventing illnesses, but investigations might also fail to identify a source, or might reveal that a strain is widely disseminated across a specific industry [8,9]. Non-commercial, privately owned (also referred to as "backyard") poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, and ducks, are an increasingly common source of zoonotic transmission of Salmonella because of their growing popularity in the United States [10]. Poultry can harbor A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268824000682 Published online by Cambridge University Press Salmonella in their gastrointestinal tract that can be intermittently shed in excreta and transmitted to humans, even while the animal appears healthy.…”