No antibiotics, pesticides or veterinary chemicals are used on Barleyfield calves or in their food or water. Conventional beef production in Australia entails the use of systemic pesticide treatment which is used to kill both gut parasites and lice. We reject any pesticide or chemical application.

In addition, conventional feeding practices throughout Australia include the use of antibiotic gut supplements in all grain feeding mixes. These are used in order to stimulate the action of the gut to enable the animal to digest the high protein foods which they are fed.

All Barleyfield cattle are fed using our own Barleyfield formula of mixed oaten hay, wheat, barley and lupins. All fodder components are carefully selected for quality and cleanliness and careful monitoring enables us to avoid the use of antibiotic gut supplements.

The Barleyfield Guarantee of quality and genuine chemical free meat stems from a commitment not to sell any meat which we would not be prepared to eat ourselves or to feed to our children. This costs approximately 35% more in production costs than in the production of conventional beef. With our strong affiliation towards Organic, Permacultural and Biodynamic principles we believe that we have achieved the balance between agricultural sustainability and ethical meat production.

Our rejection of the use of gut stimulants which contain antibiotics reflects our concern over the use and abuse of antibiotics in animal foods. We believe that the concern expressed by the medical profession about the progressive incidence of antibiotic resistant germs is justified due to the use of antibiotics in the food and water presented to cattle, chickens and pigs in the food industry being the norm rather than the exception. We believe that well treated, carefully fed animals should not need the use of such chemicals.

Antibiotics and Resistance
http://www.ems.org/antibiotics/sub2_antibiotics.html

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