A Mail Survey of Ontario Beef Producers

Surveys were distributed to the beef producers in Ontario, in the fall of 1999, to establish use patterns and perceptions about antibiotics. Most of the 587 respondents thought that antibiotic use needed to be reduced, but as many as half of the respondents may not have known the difference between antibiotics and other injectable products. The results indicate that any guidelines should explain what an antibiotic is, when they should be used, and ways to reduce unnecessary use. Antibiotic use below the median annual percentage of animals treated (10%), was positively associated with: ionophore use in feed; calling a veterinarian for a common animal health problem; and having a larger number of animals on the farm. Additional research is needed to better explain the large variation observed in the percentage of animals treated on the farm and to enhance the quality of prudent use guidelines.