Treatment decision for Tulip

Fresh check at 21 DIM: fetid discharge, mild fever.

RL conductivity 5.4 mS/cm vs 5.1 baseline27 DIM, lactation 2Temp 101.7°F

Organic-approved protocol

She stays in the organic herd

Uterine lavage with saline per vet
Aspirin for fever per standing order
Recheck discharge and temp daily through day 14

Success odds, caught this early: ~70–80%
Organic premium preserved: $3,936

Antibiotic treatment

Permanent exit from the organic herd

Intramammary antibiotic per vet. Higher single-course cure rate for an established infection — but under NOP rules Tulip can never return to organic production. She would move to the conventional string or be sold.

Organic premium lost: −$3,936
Success odds: ~85–90%

LEDGER note: under NOP §205.238, a producer may not withhold medical treatment from a sick animal to preserve its organic status. If organic-approved interventions fail, treat — and record the transition. The economics above exist so you decide early, not so you decide never.