Why homeopathy has a role in conventional production
Why homeopathy has a role in conventional production
By Marianne Curtis
HOMEOPATHY could offer benefits to conventional as well as organic producers, according to leaders of a recent three-day course promoting responsible use of the technique on farm.
Course co-ordinator Christine Lees studied the role of homeopathy in farm animal treatment for her BSc honours degree in agriculture at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
One producer keen to learn more about homeopathy was Richard Mortimore, who runs a 60-cow organic suckler herd at Pease Pottage, West Sussex.
"The course has been helpful in drawing together the concepts and practicalities of homeopathy. I dont see any conflict between the use of homeopathy and conventional medicines. Animal welfare always comes first."
Homeopathy and conventional medicine are regularly used alongside each other by course tutor and vet Geoff Johnson.
"Homeopathy can be used to treat conditions which conventional medicines cant, such as grief suffered by a cow when her calf is taken away." Although such conditions may seem trivial, they can impact on other aspects of animal health, says Mr Johnson.
Constitutional types
Successful homeopathic treatment means knowing animals personalities and histories, rather than simply relying on symptoms, adds Mr Johnson. "Most producers know their animals well, but havent realised it matters."
Cattle fall into nine constitutional types, each with a corresponding remedy. "When remedies for particular symptoms fail to give a lasting cure for conditions such as mastitis, an animals constitutional remedy will usually clear up whatever is wrong."
An example of a constitutional type is pulsatilla. Such cows often want to be made a fuss of, but are shy, says Mr Johnson, who practises at Springfield Vet Centre, Williton, Somerset.
"They tend to be high yielding, glossy and with a tight udder. Pulsatilla cows tend to drink less than other types and you will often find them outside rather than inside because they dont like heat."
Health problems associated with this type of cow can include retained cleansings, poor milk let-down and not holding to service, but the pulsatilla remedy can be used to treat such conditions, according to Mr Johnson.
Producers attending the course observed cows at Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester, to determine their constitutional types.
Producers also learned the basics of homeopathy, which means treating like with like, says Mrs Lees. It works on the basis that giving a particular homeopathic remedy to a healthy animal will produce defined symptoms. However, a diseased animal displaying these symptoms, can be cured using the remedy.
"When selecting a remedy, it is important to match symptoms." There are 3000 symptoms that can be matched with remedies using a manual known as a repertory, according to Mrs Lees.
A high standard of stockmanship is also required because homeopathy will not compensate for poor management. "Homeopathy will not compensate for poor buildings or inadequate ventilation."
But Mr Johnson cautions that however good stockmanship is, cows subjected to unnatural stresses could make them more susceptible to disease.
"Cows stand on concrete, eat manufactured diets and their calf is taken away. Vets find the greater the deviation of a farm system from what a cow has evolved to cope with naturally, the more disease is seen."
Keeping cows in large groups can add to stress and disease susceptibility, he warns. "Cows can cope with up to 40 other cows when forming a heirarchy. In groups larger than 40, they can become confused about where they stand in the heirarchy, causing stress.
"Group sizes should be no more than 40 and mixing of groups should be avoided."
As well as good stockmanship, using homeopathic remedies for prevention rather than cure is also preferable, says Mr Johnson. "Particular remedies can be given at certain times of a cows production cycle to boost health."
Mr Johnson has devised a homeopathic health plan for calves, heifers and cows covering events such as growth, diet changes, calving, calf separation and drying off.
"Try to treat illness homeopathically on every occasion because this will increase a herd or flocks long-term immune status. When a homeopathic approach doesnt work, use conventional drugs because the most important thing is to prevent suffering." *