The South Dakota Certified Enrolled Cattle™ (SDCEC) Natural program is an extension of the base SDCEC program.
While there is no formal definition of “naturally raised”, the cattle industry has generally accepted the following conditions: limits on the use of antibiotic drugs, limits on the use of growth promoting hormones, and limits on animal proteins within the feed source. There are many variations on these how these limits are applied throughout the burgeoning natural cattle industry.
The purpose of the SDCEC Natural program is to provide independent, third-party verification of the SDDA’s description of “naturally raised.” We prohibit the use of antibiotics—including ionophores—hormones, and animal proteins with the exception of milk and milk products. This allows producers to use our program to dovetail into many existing natural beef markets.
The following items are allowed in the SDCEC Natural program:
- All disease vaccinations
- Coccidiostats
- Internal and external parasite control
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs approved for use in cattle
The use of a stringent vaccination program and treatment records are integral to successfully raising cattle for a natural program. For more information on the SDCEC Natural program, use the information in the links below.
South Dakota Certified Enrolled Cattle™ Natural Program Handout 
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