Buyer wants to re-turn thier hens

[arabookworm]

Quote:
it isn't the chickens that build up immunity, it is the bacteria itself. so the problem is that the naturally occurring bacteria in their coop will become resistant to the antibiotic, make them sick, and then you'll have trouble finding an antibiotic to fight it off with.

aside from that, most animals (and humans) have naturally occurring bacteria in their gut that helps them digest food, and the antibiotic could kill off this "good" bacteria, causing problems such as malnutrition (not that likely though if they have a well-rounded diet)

 

[Village Farm]

Quote:
1) "Colds" have nothing to do with weather or temperature.

2) "Colds" are caused by viruses.

3) Antibiotics treat bacterial infections and are useless against viruses.

4) Chronic use of antibiotics is a great way to induce resistance to antibiotics.

5) A vet might be a better source of medical information than the feed store. The people at your feed store, at least, don't have a clue.

Oxytetracycline (of which Terramycin is a brand) is an extremely useful broad-spectrum antibiotic. It'll kill off normal intestinal flora if you're not careful. It's really lousy to have an infection that's resistant to tetracyclines.