Do you use antibiotics?

[Dwen]

Several of my 8 wk old Cornish Cross are coming down with respiratory problems, and as I have duramycen 10 on hand, I am debating treating them since I won't be processing for another 2-3 weeks. What would you do?

 

[chicknmania]

Duramycin doesn't do much, but you can try it. You'd probably have to use something more powerful and not sure if you could eat the chickens after that. If you're going to butcher them anyway, I would just go ahead.

 

[sandspoultry]

Myself I wouldn't medicate and then eat them, the whole reason I raise my own food is so they don't have any additives in it. I would quarantine the birds with issues and find out what is causing it.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Myself I wouldn't medicate and then eat them, the whole reason I raise my own food is so they don't have any additives in it. I would quarantine the birds with issues and find out what is causing it.

Treatment of diseases and sickness is responsible livestock ownership. Treating without knowing the cause might not treat the problem correctly and make the animal sicker.

If the birds are sick from a bacterial infection then treatment with the proper antibiotic is appropriate. You also need to be aware of any withdrawal periods for the antibiotic you use before slaughtering the animals for food.

Simply quarantining the bird and not treating a disease is irresponsible livestock management.

 

[chicknmania]

Treatment of diseases and sickness is responsible livestock ownership. Treating without knowing the cause might not treat the problem correctly and make the animal sicker.

If the birds are sick from a bacterial infection then treatment with the proper antibiotic is appropriate. You also need to be aware of any withdrawal periods for the antibiotic you use before slaughtering the animals for food.

Simply quarantining the bird and not treating a disease is irresponsible livestock management.

Do quarantine them, though, til you decide what to do. If you are going to use Duramycin, you need to make it stronger than the directions say. It's 4 tsp per gallon, to be effective. But really you probably need Tylan or something geared more specifically for serious respiratory issues,

 

[Buster52]

What would you do?

Quarantine them and cull them as soon as I can, and write it off as a loss. I don't medicate.

But that's just me.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quarantine them and cull them as soon as I can, and write it off as a loss. I don't medicate.

But that's just me.

And me also Buster, We use the "only the strong survive" method.

 

[Buster52]

And me also Buster, We use the "only the strong survive" method.

Yeah, if it's from a flock I am trying to maintain, I would quarantine and give them a chance to fight it off, depending on what it is. Then cull if they are just suffering. That improves the genetics of the flock with birds that overcome disease on their own, rather than through using an artificial crutch.

But with a CX or other terminal hybrid, I just cull immediately or soon thereafter. Better safe than sorry that way, since there is no point in improving the flock and I would be taking a chance of spreading whatever it is they have to the rest of the crop.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Isolate, treat, cure, then slaughter.

 

[Bossroo]

Treatment of diseases and sickness is responsible livestock ownership. Treating without knowing the cause might not treat the problem correctly and make the animal sicker.

If the birds are sick from a bacterial infection then treatment with the proper antibiotic is appropriate. You also need to be aware of any withdrawal periods for the antibiotic you use before slaughtering the animals for food.

Simply quarantining the bird and not treating a disease is irresponsible livestock management.

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