Producers thinking about raising their new calves the natural way need to make that decision now, according to North Dakota State University beef experts.

That's because what producers feed, implant or apply on their animals could affect the cattle's eligibility to be sold as naturally raised.

The definition of ""natural"" primarily is a marketing issue, says Greg Lardy, NDSU Extension Service beef cattle specialist.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't have guidelines on how cattle are raised for beef marketing purposes. Its definition of natural focuses on the meat product. The USDA requires meat to be only minimally processed, which means processing doesn't fundamentally alter the raw product. Also, the meat must not contain artificial ingredients or added color.

In the marketplace, the most generally accepted definition for natural beef is ""never-ever,"" which means the cattle have not been treated with antibiotics or implants during their lifetime. That standard is becoming more and more popular with consumers, Lardy says.

A few companies market beef as being natural if the cattle didn't receive antibiotics or hormone growth implants for a certain number of days before they were slaughtered or if tests on the meat show no traces of antibiotics or hormones. The latter is not a common practice, he says.

Producers who follow the never-ever standard also try to give their product a marketing edge by promoting certain practices, for instance that their cattle are corn-fed or they handled their animals in a particular manner. They also might try to appeal to consumers by noting that the cattle were raised locally, in a specific state or on a small, family ranch.

Lardy suggests producers check with a few markets to determine what criteria they would need to follow to sell their cattle as naturally raised.

Since the companies marketing the beef products basically define the never-ever policy, producers should check with individual companies on whether products such as dewormers, insecticides, feed additives and compounds to synchronize estrus in heifers would be allowed, says Karl Hoppe, Extension Service area livestock specialist at North Dakota State University's Carrington Research Extension Center. Specific policies vary among companies.

Natural programs do not prohibit vaccinations. Instead, producers are encouraged to vaccinate their calves to help ensure the animals have a minimal amount of health problems related to respiratory disease, Lardy says.

""Vaccines and antibiotics are very different,"" says NDSU Extension veterinarian Charlie Stoltenow. ""One is to prevent or lessen the effects of an infection, while the other is to inhibit or kill the infecting organism."

He adds that vaccinations are part of a good herd health program, which is essential for a successful natural program.

Stoltenow also stresses that cattle that become ill must be treated.

""Treating the animal may disqualify it from a natural program, but it will be eligible for normal marketing programs,"" he says.

Hoppe says producers who opt to raise their cattle the natural way need to keep accurate records of which animals receive antibiotics or implants and separate them from other cattle going to market as naturally raised cattle. Treating a few cattle with antibiotics does not keep the rest of the herd from being sold to the natural beef market as long as producers have adequate records to verify the practices they implemented.

Agriculture Communication