Organic Livestock

Organic livestock are animals managed under the National Organic Program standards. Compared to conventional livestock, organic operations face requirements in four categories: origin, feed, healthcare, and living conditions.

Origin

NOP §205.236 sets the rules for when an animal is considered organic:

Born organic — for slaughter stock, the animal must be managed organically from the last third of gestation. For dairy, the cow's organic status starts after the last third of gestation OR after a one-time herd transition.
Acquired organic — animals purchased from another organic operation at any time after the third trimester.
Acquired non-organic for breeding — slaughter stock cannot be transitioned. Breeding stock can be brought in from non-organic sources up to the last third of gestation, after which the resulting offspring qualify as organic.

There is no general "transition to organic" path for an individual animal except in the specific dairy-herd case.

Feed

NOP §205.237 requires that all feed:

Be organically produced
Not contain animal byproducts (with limited exceptions)
Not contain prohibited substances or additives
Include the percentage of pasture grazing required by §205.237(c) — at least 30% dry matter intake from pasture during the grazing season for ruminants

Organic operations cannot feed conventional grain even temporarily, except during a documented emergency declared by USDA.

Healthcare

NOP §205.238 sets out healthcare requirements:

Preventive practices first — vaccinations, parasite control through pasture management, biosecurity
Approved treatments only when needed — substances listed in NOP §205.603
Withhold treatment is prohibited if it would cause suffering — operations must treat sick animals; treated animals lose organic status (slaughter stock) or have their milk withheld for the appropriate withdrawal period (dairy)
Specific prohibitions: synthetic growth promoters, hormones for growth, plastic pellets for roughage, animal by-products in feed

Living conditions

NOP §205.239 requires:

Year-round access to outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, clean water, and direct sunlight (with limited weather/health exceptions)
Specific space allowances per species
Pasture access for ruminants throughout the grazing season
Bedding that, if consumed, would be organic

What documentation is required

Every animal (or batch, for poultry) needs an origin record, ongoing feed records, every healthcare event, and pasture/movement records. The Master Herd List in the OSP captures this.

Quick Organics + livestock

The Master Herd List in Quick Organics tracks livestock by individual or group, with origin, organic status, location, and a health-records timeline. Treatments check against the National List automatically; withdrawal periods compute from treatment date + days. See livestock OSP modules.