Do we vaccinate our animals? It's not a simple answer. Here's the honest truth.

written by

posted on

March 3, 2023

*Originally published on 11/25/22 and updated on 3/3/23.

One of the top customer questions we get is, “Do you vaccinate your animals?” I wish the answer was simple. I wish it was a direct yes or no, but it’s more complicated than that.

**We have never routinely vaccinated our animals.**

When animals eat a natural diet and live outdoors with plenty of fresh air and sunshine, there is little worry about disease. They are naturally healthy.

But, there have been a couple circumstances that led to our animals getting a vaccine.

This is, of course, not ideal. But, you deserve to know everything about your food so you can make educated decisions about what your family consumes.

1- We bought an animal from another farm. And, the farmer did not know his animals were vaccinated.

Vets will often vaccinate without asking permission. If the farmer doesn’t watch closely and keep his records organized, this can go under the radar. This is especially true when you buy in animals.

We actually had a problem with this in 2019. Farmer Aaron had bought in cows from a local farm years earlier, and one cow was still shedding RB51, the vaccine strain of brucellosis. The issue was completely resolved quickly, and you can learn more about the RB51 situation here.

2- There was a disease in a herd or flock, and we believed that immunization was the only solution to prevent death and suffering.

Listen, we care deeply about our animals and try to raise them as naturally as possible. But, in the rare case that a deadly disease infects our animals, and there is no natural remedy to tackle it, then we will turn to conventional medicine. We want to ensure the best life for our animals.

This happened about a little over a year ago. Farmer Aaron’s brother David started a second dairy farm for us. And, as with any new operation, there were some challenges. One of those challenges was bovine pneumonia. He quickly decided to vaccinate his cows to prevent death and suffering. He didn’t think there was another option.

FYI - The vaccine used on these cows was the Inforce3® Respiratory Vaccine. It’s an “old fashioned” vaccine (NOT mRNA) that’s made with a modified live virus (AKA a GMO virus). It’s an intranasal vaccine; that means it’s NOT injected but put in the cow’s nose. Keep in mind that there is a difference between injection and ingestion (more on that below).

Side note: None of the cows on our main farm are vaccinated. This is where all of our bottled milk comes from.

This is the honest truth. Since this blog post was originally published in November 2022, we got such insightful and passionate feedback from our customers. It really made Farmer Aaron think.

This is our hard stance:

NO MORE VACCINES, and definitely NO mRNA vaccines. We will be 100% vaccine-free by 2025.

A few notes on this:

If bovine pneumonia ever becomes an issue again, we’ll use a radically old fashioned, natural remedy - vinegar and red pepper. It seems to work just as well as the vaccine. The cows don’t “like” it, but I suppose it’s better than pneumonia. They put a mixture of vinegar and red pepper in the infected cow’s mouth. It seems to clear symptoms within a day or two.
Farmer David will slowly sell any cows that received a vaccine, and we will be 100% vaccine free by 2025. We don’t want any animals that have had vaccines. The process has already started, and we should be vaccine free by 2025.
And, along these same lines, we say NO to mRNA vaccines. This stands for ALL the farms we work with. We are a community of natural farms that says no to GMOs (and much more), why would we be ok GMO-ing our animals? mRNA vaccines are a hard no for us.

Let’s put this into perspective. There is a stark difference between what I explained above and the routine immunization practices used on conventional farms, even organic conventional farms.

There’s no pretty chart with a livestock immunization schedule, like the one from the CDC for human children. But, I did a little digging, and here are the vaccines that vets may recommend:

Cattle

Rota-Coronavirus
Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)
Parainfluenza Virus 3 (PI3)
Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV)
7 Way Blackleg - 1 dose
Pasturella
Pinkeye
Brucellosis (Bangs)
5 Way Lepto
Camplyobacter

Pigs

Atrophic Rhinitis
Erysipelas
Mycoplasma Pneumonia
Actinobacillus Pleuropneumoniae

Broiler Chickens

Marek’s disease
Newcastle disease
Infectious bronchitis
Infectious Bursal Disease

Laying Hens

Marek’s disease
Newcastle disease
Infectious bronchitis
Infectious Bursal Disease
Encephalomyelitis
Fowlpox
Laryngotracheitis
Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Turkeys

Newcastle disease
Hemorrhagic enteritis
Fowl cholera
Erysipelas

As with childhood vaccines, most livestock immunizations call for many doses within the first year, and then an annual dose each year thereafter.

So, for example, beef cattle could get a specific vaccine 4 times in their first year, and then 1 annual shot, for a total of 5 injections for one disease before harvest. According to my calculations, an average conventional beef cow would get about 30 shots before you eat it.

Really what’s going on here is two different thought processes, two different ways of being and farming.

On the one hand, we have naturally raised animals who rarely get sick. This is because they eat a natural diet and have plenty of exercise and space and fresh air. Animals raised this way do not need routine vaccinations. This is how Miller's does it.

On the other hand, there are conventionally raised animals who are likely to get sick without intervention. This is because they eat an unnatural diet, primarily corn and soy. They live in crowded living spaces, often indoors. They’re not able to exercise or breathe really fresh air. Animals raised this way would not produce food or survive without routine vaccinations and antibiotics.

There’s so much to consider here. These two different ways of farming exist for a reason. The cost of food, varying income levels, profit for big businesses, farmers' contracts with distributors, the cost for farmers to build new facilities or buy land, damage that’s already been done to the soil, etc.

It’s also important to note that there is a difference between injection and ingestion.

Some vaccines for livestock are oral or nasal and some are by injection. First off, with an oral vaccine, the cow has a more natural immune response. And second, no matter what, if you eat (or ingest) food produced from a vaccinated animal, whatever would pass to you is through digestion.

Your body has an amazing and complex system for removing toxins that you drink or eat or breathe in. Most of this work is done by your kidneys, which filter toxins so you can excrete them in urine.

On the other hand, when you inject something into your body, like many vaccines, it goes straight into your bloodstream. Your body is not designed to remove toxins in the bloodstream as well as those in your digestive system.

No matter which way toxins enter, your body can only detox so much. It can only handle a certain amount of toxins. It’s like filling a cup with water. The cup can only hold a certain amount of water. Once the water reaches the brim, it cannot handle any more.

Miller’s Bio Farm aims to provide you with clean foods, and this means limiting toxins as much as possible. But, we are not perfect. That’s why we add honest disclosures to our products.

What do you think about vaccinations in animals? Are you comfortable consuming vaccinated animals? What about if they are minimally vaccinated?

I’d love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us.

Farming Practices

Opinion

Health and Nutrition

Pastured Meat

Raw Dairy

Histamine intolerance, natural healing, and a helpful histamine food list

Histamines, Histamines, Histamines. You might have heard this word a lot more lately. I mean, I have. I’ve been getting questions about histamines in our food multiple times a week! This inspired me to take a deep dive into what they are, why we need them, and why too much is bad! Please join me on my learning journey. What are histamines? What do histamines do in your body? And why do we need them? Histamines are super important chemicals that your immune system releases. You need them. They’re like little messengers your body sends out. In addition to producing your own histamines, you eat them in your food, too. A big role of histamines is causing allergic reactions, protecting your body from foreign invaders like allergens or infections. For example, if you get a bug bite, your body produces histamines. They tell your body to send more blood to that area and heal the injury. Or, if you’re allergic to pollen and breathe it in, your body sends out histamines. They, in turn, make your body produce mucus to clear the pollen from your respiratory system. Histamines also help regulate brain functions. They keep you awake and alert. Histamines are also important for digestion. Without histamines, your stomach wouldn’t produce enough acid to digest food properly. So, histamines are not inherently bad. You need them! Sadly, too much or the inability to handle them can be a problem. In some cases, a big problem. What is histamine intolerance? Histamine intolerance is no fun. It happens when your body can’t break down histamines properly, leading to a build up that can cause all sorts of annoying physical symptoms, which may include: BloatingNausea/vomitingHeadachesRunny/stuffy noseShortness of breathItchingRash/hivesFlushingLow blood pressureIrregular heart ratesPainful menstruation Swelling of lips, tongue, or throat Histamines can have a big impact on our mental health, too. They help release neurotransmitters that regulate brain functions like alertness, learning, and memory. So, they play a part in how we feel and behave daily. Here are some examples: Alertness: Too much histamine in the brain promotes wakefulness. Sleep Regulation: Low levels of histamines can make you feel drowsy. This is why antihistamine medications, which block histamines, often cause drowsiness as side effects. Mood Regulation: Imbalances in histamine levels can be linked to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Why are more and more people getting diagnosed with histamine intolerance? We’re hearing from more and more customers that are struggling with histamine intolerance. It seems to me a new, popular diagnosis these days. Here are a few reasons why: Improved Awareness & Diagnosis: People and health professionals are becoming more aware of histamine intolerance.Modern Diet & Gut Health: Eating a lot of processed, sugary snacks and unhealthy fats can throw off the balance of good bacteria in your gut, which is crucial for your health. When your gut isn’t in good shape, it can struggle to break down histamines.Medication Use: Some medications can mess with your body’s ability to break down histamines, leading to a build up. Genetics: Your genes can play a role too! Some people are born with less ability to break down histamines. It might not be producing enough enzymes that help keep histamines in check. The MTHFR gene can affect how your body uses folate, which is important to many functions, including detoxifying histamines. Tips for managing your histamine levels: Stick to a low histamine diet: Histamines are naturally present in all foods. Some foods are innately low in histamines and some are innately high.Watch how you handle food: Keep an eye on how your food is stored and prepared to keep histamine levels in check. When food sits or ages, bacteria is usually breaking down proteins, and that process produces histamines.Know your triggers: Some foods might not have histamines, but can make your body release more. It’s good to know what triggers your body. How do you treat histamine intolerance in a holistic way? Conventional doctors might recommend antihistamines or medications to help break down histamines. However, there are also more natural approaches to consider. These are just some suggestions, we’re not doctors! Dietary Adjustments: Avoid high histamine foods and incorporate low histamine foods. Supplements: Vitamin C can help reduce histamine levels and symptoms. Vitamin B6 can help increase enzyme production, which helps break down and remove excess histamines.Essential Oils: Chamomile and lavender may have anti-inflammatory properties. Use a diffuser or add them to a warm bath. Natural Antihistamines: Quercetin, found in apples, green tea, and onions, can act as a natural antihistamine.Healing the Gut: It’s an important step. A healthy gut can help your body regulate histamine levels more effectively and improve your overall well being. Leaky gut can cause bacteria and toxins to leak into the bloodstream triggering immune response and releasing histamines. 70% of the immune system is thought to be in the gut. What are the histamine levels of Miller’s Bio Farm foods? *Not finding the food you’re looking for? This list was made for the foods that Miller's Bio Farm offers. You can find a more comprehensive food list here. ----- References: Hidden in Plain Sight: Histamine Problems Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art.Histamine IntoleranceHistamine in the brainHistamine and Psychiatric DisordersHistamine and Mental HealthA overview of histamine intolerance and emerging innovation opportunitiesHistamine Intolerance: Medications to AvoidHow Gut Health is Connected to Histamine Intolerance.Foods High in HistamineIs Einkorn Flour High In Histamine.8 natural ways to reduce your histamine levels.Everything You Need to Know About the Low Histamine DietHIGH HISTAMINE – LOW HEALTH.Histamine Intolerance Resulting from Poor Gut HealthWhich probiotics for histamine intolerance?