If I use Tylan will I ever be able to consume the eggs from those hens

[Lady of McCamley]

@Krazyquilts

One final follow up, as I do head counts of birds, with that many poultry, you likely are selling eggs unless you eat an awful lot.

Under 300 birds (the last time I checked) you remain below FDA regulations, so you are still considered a small holder.

However, not giving legal advice here but as I have worked through my own concerns, if someone who purchased your eggs should ever get sick (they forgot to wash the pan, they let them spoil, then used), and they blame you, and your eggs were tested and found to have illegal residue, by FDA standards you are responsible for any fines and liabilities of those drugs found in the eggs. (Yes federal fines could be imposed).

There are no egg police running around checking on small holders, which is why we are "unregulated," so any issues that arise will be because someone became sick (God forbid) and blamed you causing a reason to test your eggs.

I've personally decided it is easier to defend my eggs if I follow FDA approved standards. If I do need to use off script, it is better, legally, to go through a vet (but we can't always). If I do choose to go on my own, I then am very, very, careful to use drugs that have a research history with pull times and follow an ample pull time for my public eggs. (I can do what I want with my private eggs).

I sell as "farm fresh" not "organic" so it gives me some leeway. (Organic is a whole 'nother ball of wax, and very hard to get certified, nearly ridiculous for a small holder).

Just what I've pondered.

LofMc

This is older, prior to 2017 standards, but useful:
http://www.farad.org/publications/digests/122015EggResidue.pdf

Should be current list of approved drugs
http://www.farad.org/vetgram/egglayers.asp

And studies which show residue
http://www.farad.org/publications/miscellaneous/LayingHensEggResidues.pdf

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree with everything that @Lady of McCamley says.

Hopefully @birdman326 will follow up and tell us more about the symptoms that he sees.
There are so many causes of respiratory symptoms that it's hard to know what is going on without more information. Having some testing or sending samples (swabs) to the NC State Vet Diagnostic Lab to see what you are dealing would be ideal. NC has 4 lab locations - Raliegh, Monroe, Elkin and Fletcher http://www.ncagr.gov/vet/ncvdl/ NC testing is fairly reasonable compared to a lot of states, so check them out.

That said - you currently have a Rooster that is sick - are you going to eating him or are you using him for breeding? I understand your concern in using antibiotics - Tylan does have a withdrawal period (1day or 24hours before butchering). FARAD mentions up to 8days I believe - so if you follow a "general guideline" of 14-30days, then you should be o.k. Since this is a rooster, you're not having to worry about consuming eggs.

Antibiotics will only treat secondary infections due to respiratory disease. You need to consider your current and future chicken keeping goals if you suspect respiratory disease. Mycoplasma, Infectious Bronchitis (IB), Infectious Coryza and ILT are a few of the most common. Infectious Bronchitis can make birds carriers for up to a year (symptoms usually last around a month or so). Mycoplasma, Coryza and ILT make birds and those exposed carriers for life. Any of these can come with their own set of complications as well even when recovered - impact on egg quality and production and susceptibility of future illness (weakened immune system) are common. A disease like Mycoplasma is transmitted both vertically and horizontally (bird to bird and through the eggs). If you are keeping a closed flock (not selling/giving away hatching eggs, chicks, started pullets or showing birds) then managing/ treating symptoms as they arise or culling sick birds may be the way to go.
If you are breeding for selling - then you need to find out more information about the illness you are dealing with, see if it can be managed through vaccines/culling or if it would be wiser to cull all/start over or reconsider your goals.

Common poultry diseases: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Information about Tylan: https://www.drugs.com/vet/tylan-soluble.html

FARAD Information: http://www.farad.org/publications/digests/122015EggResidue.pdf
http://www.farad.org/publications/miscellaneous/LayingHensEggResidues.pdf

 

[birdman326]

Thank you for the advice. As of right now I have not administered anything. Right now we don't plan on selling eggs. I won't until we know exactly what we are doing and that we are in full compliance. I am going to study these birds and i will post my observations. Thank you for the great information.

 

[Kiki]

Thank you for the advice. As of right now I have not administered anything. Right now we don't plan on selling eggs. I won't until we know exactly what we are doing and that we are in full compliance. I am going to study these birds and i will post my observations. Thank you for the great information.

 

[SSchoon]

@Krazyquilts

You are so welcome. I am a hobbyist, but my grandmother owned a chicken farm, and my daughter and SIL are organic farmers for market. (I should also add my daughter became a vet tech, and we used my flock for some of her studies).

So these are questions I too have had to address, especially having been a paralegal, I have concerns over liabilities when I sell eggs.

I'm glad it was of some help to you.

LofMc

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.