Calves given coats to avoid need for antibiotics

Farmers are putting coats on calves to stop them needing antibiotics, according to vets and agriculturalists. The practice has become popular in the last 18 months, as farmers try to avoid administering antibiotic injections to prevent ill health, amid growing fears about resistance to the drugs.

Andy Biggs, a veterinary physician at Vale Veterinary Group in Devon, said: “If you think about when you were younger, your parents would probably always tell you to wear a coat when you went outside to stop you from getting unwell – it is no different for calves. If they can’t keep warm, they are more likely to come into contact with common infections and diseases.”