Here is a quote from an article that raised some points to ponder.
But wait, it's not prohibited or banned either. It hasn't been proven harmful, it merely hasn't been studied or tested on chickens, mainly due to the financial cost related to conducting testing and doing studies. Blu-Kote has been tested in the US for its use on horses and is not approved for use on horses that will be eaten (good thing we don't eat our horses!), and also has been tested on cows in Canada where it has been approved for use in milk cows. According to the company, the product has been grandfathered, so it can be sold without actually being tested or its effects studied on chickens.
After a bit of reading, it seems that the questionable ingredient in Blu-Kote is the Gentian Violet that gives the spray its blue color and helps deter pecking. It has been linked to cancer in lab rats, but hasn't been studied at all as far as poultry or the eggs those chickens lay.
For all we know, Blu-Kote is perfectly safe to use on chickens. There just isn't enough research to prove or disprove any risks. And as the Dr. Naylor rep pointed out, in several decades, there has not been a single problem linked back to the use of Blu-Kote in poultry. So the jury is out on it, as it is with many products that are routinely used with backyard flocks.
Gentian Violet can also cause skin irritation, which seems counter productive when you're applying it to heal and help with a wound or raw skin.
To get the facts, I went right to the source and called Dr. Naylor, the company that makes and sells Blu-Kote. I spoke with a very nice company representative who told me that no, Blu-Kote is not specifically approved by the FDA for use in poultry. (What? Yet it's probably the #1 recommended product on all the forums and websites...hmmm)But wait, it's not prohibited or banned either. It hasn't been proven harmful, it merely hasn't been studied or tested on chickens, mainly due to the financial cost related to conducting testing and doing studies. Blu-Kote has been tested in the US for its use on horses and is not approved for use on horses that will be eaten (good thing we don't eat our horses!), and also has been tested on cows in Canada where it has been approved for use in milk cows. According to the company, the product has been grandfathered, so it can be sold without actually being tested or its effects studied on chickens.
After a bit of reading, it seems that the questionable ingredient in Blu-Kote is the Gentian Violet that gives the spray its blue color and helps deter pecking. It has been linked to cancer in lab rats, but hasn't been studied at all as far as poultry or the eggs those chickens lay.
For all we know, Blu-Kote is perfectly safe to use on chickens. There just isn't enough research to prove or disprove any risks. And as the Dr. Naylor rep pointed out, in several decades, there has not been a single problem linked back to the use of Blu-Kote in poultry. So the jury is out on it, as it is with many products that are routinely used with backyard flocks.
Gentian Violet can also cause skin irritation, which seems counter productive when you're applying it to heal and help with a wound or raw skin.
