Anti- biotic

[hvactech]

Whats the best antibiotic for laying hens?

 

[PandoraTaylor]

It depends on what you are treating for.....
There are several that are good, but some only treat baterial infections....

AVC is good for boosting their immune systems, helping their digestion.

 

[hvactech]

I was referring to colds and infections such as that nature. What is AVC?

 

[dftkarin]

I also wonder about this! I am hoping to treat an infected vent - so its a skin infection and I have teracyclin but it says its more appropriate for respiratory infections. If I'm going to dose the whole flocks and throw out eggs for 2 weeks - I want to use the most appropriate and most likely to be effective antibiotic for a chicken's skin infection - but how can I find out what that would be????? Any help would be so appreciated!!

 

[speckledhen]

Preferred for respiratory (though I would never give AB for that reason, ever, personally) is Tylan injectible. Preferred for wounds would be penicillin injectible. Terramycin is not good for much of anything, really. Too weak. If they are sick enough to need an AB, then skip the Terramycin. And as you know, AB's will not treat a virus, so unless you know it's bacterial, you could be wasting your time and money.

 

[dftkarin]

A foul smelling discharge-y bloody/swollen vent couldn't be a viral infection, could it? Aren't skin things like that always bacterial? I wouldn't mind using an injectable, but can backyard chicken owners do that themselves? Or would I need a prescription? Or a trip to a chicken vet?

 

[speckledhen]

No, I'm sure the vent thing is bacterial, really, but I am not sure what is causing that issue. I was making a general statement to the original poster. You can get syringes and needles (20 or 22 guage) at most feedstores and they keep the penicillin in the fridge. Costs about $10 for a bottle of Penicillin-G. You can learn to give injections... warm it up to room temp, do it in the breast meat and just go in about 1/8" or so, enough to inject the stuff. Takes 3-4 days of Pen for most infections, 1/2 cc for large birds and 1/4 cc for bantams.

Tylan50 takes 1/2 cc, but I don't recall if you can give it in the breast or where. Once I was instructed to do it in a pinch of skin on the back of the neck, subcutaneously.