great lakes dairy sheep symposium - the Department of Animal ...

7. White salt and minerals are allowed, as long as they do not include non-allowed flowing
agents or fillers. (Mineral oil is NOT allowed for internal consumption, yellow prussiate
of soda, a common flowing agent, is not allowed).
8. Tail docking and de-horning are allowed.
9. Rams do not need to be managed organically, except during the time they are pastured
with ewes.
10. Housing should be well-planned with appropriate air circulation.
11. There is no specification as to the timing of removing lambs from mothers. However, any
milk replacer must be produced from only dairy products that are from non-rBGH cows.
As of fall 2006, there is no allowed milk replacer available. In lieu of milk replacer,
organic whole milk must be fed (may be cow, sheep, goat).
12. Pure iodine teat dip is allowed, but some dips are restricted.
13. Milk house cleanup is basically the same as for non-organic systems, as long as
procedures are installed to ensure pure wash water is the last product used before organic
milk contacts a surface.
14. Pest control in barns and milk houses is regulated.
15. Treated wood is not allowed for new construction where there is animal contact. Some
certifiers do allow painted treated wood, check before you use it. Any treated wood in
production systems before organic certification may be grandfathered in. Alternatives
include plastic, cedar, black locust, metal, fiberglass, etc.
16. Comprehensive farm records must be maintained, including individual animal health,
pasture management, and crop production etc. All animals must be somehow identified.
Sample record keeping systems are available.
To sell organic meat (Lamb)
1. To produce an organic lamb for meat, the mother must be treated organically (feed,
pasture, health, etc) for the last third of gestation (150 days / 3 = 50 days).
2. Mothers may not be taken in and out of organic production.
3. Lambs must be managed organically.
4. Any animal not born of an organically managed mother may never be sold as organic
meat.
Organic Farm Certification
In the United States, organic production is, since Oct 2002, regulated by the USDA. There is
a 46-page law that describes what is allowed and not allowed in organic production. Canada is in
the process of defining their own national organic law. To sell organic products in the U.S., you
must abide by the regulations outlined by the USDA.
Any farm with gross sales of organic product over $5,000 per year must be certified by a
third-party organization in order to market organic products. You must also be certified to sell
any ingredient that will be turned into an organic product (such as raw milk made into organic
cheese.)
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