rooster on antibiotics = egg withdrawal period?

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

I'm thinking about treating our rooster with oxytetracycline for what appears to be a chronic mycoplasma infection that he picked up last winter. Do antibiotics pass into semen/sperm? If so, an egg withdrawal period may be necessary. Personally, as oxytetracycline is approved for use in laying hens in Europe, I've decided to eat the eggs laid by any of my hens that are being treated with oxytetracycline, but I do observe an egg withdrawal period before giving these eggs to others. I'm not sure how to go about this if we treat our rooster, especially given that their sperm survives inside a hen's body for up to 30 days (or at least that's what I heard on this forum).

 

[DobieLover]

I'm thinking about treating our rooster with oxytetracycline for what appears to be a chronic mycoplasma infection that he picked up last winter. Do antibiotics pass into semen/sperm? If so, an egg withdrawal period may be necessary. Personally, as oxytetracycline is approved for use in laying hens in Europe, I've decided to eat the eggs laid by any of my hens that are being treated with oxytetracycline, but I do observe an egg withdrawal period before giving these eggs to others. I'm not sure how to go about this if we treat our rooster, especially given that their sperm survives inside a hen's body for up to 30 days (or at least that's what I heard on this forum).

I would imagine that the amount of antibiotic that passed into his sperm that then went into the egg would be below detection limits so no egg withdrawal.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would throw out eggs for 21 days. 14 days is probably good enough, but just to be safe, I would go longer. Here is a study about oxyteracycline:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02652039409374265

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24853528

 

[DobieLover]

I would throw out eggs for 21 days. 14 days is probably good enough, but just to be safe, I would go longer. Here is a study about oxyteracycline:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02652039409374265

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24853528

When it's the rooster being treated??

 

[Eggcessive]

When it's the rooster being treated??

Duh, that shows that I misread the question. LOL. Glad you are paying attention @DobieLover.

 

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

So, sounds like you two agree on egg withdrawal period if the hen is treated but not if the rooster is treated, correct?

 

[DobieLover]

So, sounds like you two agree on egg withdrawal period if the hen is treated but not if the rooster is treated, correct?

Yes.
Think about it.
Let's say that his sperm carried the same amount of antibiotic by weight as a layers egg would. Add that sperm cell weight to the weight of the egg it fertilized and it becomes practically non-existent.
As I stated, I imagine the concentration of the oxytetracycline would be below the detection limits of the HPLC. It would be background noise.

 

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

OK, that makes total sense. I think in the back of my mind I was thinking about the potential impact of the antibiotic (or any meds given to the rooster) on embryo development but we are eating the eggs, not hatching chicks, so this is irrelevant.

Thank you!!!