why the withdrawal time for egg consumption?

[Wickedchicken6]

Excellent points and a lot of good information!

 

[laurelbrookhens]

WOW.... I never expected so many answers and good ones too!! I wasn't advocating pro or con. I was just curious as to the why for. I would rather no gov't regs but don't really mind as I drop off fecal samples before I do anything. I did notice my vet suggested a goat medicine last time I got the fecal results. So I guess we still need to know what we "used" to buy for chickens to educate our city vets.

 

[casportpony]

WOW.... I never expected so many answers and good ones too!! I wasn't advocating pro or con. I was just curious as to the why for. I would rather no gov't regs but don't really mind as I drop off fecal samples before I do anything. I did notice my vet suggested a goat medicine last time I got the fecal results. So I guess we still need to know what  we "used" to buy for chickens to educate our city vets.

I really don't think we need to educate our city vets when it comes to prescribing worming medications. If the goat medicine you're referring to is "Safeguard for Goats", that just fenbendazole, which is a common wormer that is used to treat cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, horses, cows, sheep, reptiles, and birds.

-Kathy

 

[Lady of McCamley]

WOW.... I never expected so many answers and good ones too!! I wasn't advocating pro or con. I was just curious as to the why for. I would rather no gov't regs but don't really mind as I drop off fecal samples before I do anything. I did notice my vet suggested a goat medicine last time I got the fecal results. So I guess we still need to know what we "used" to buy for chickens to educate our city vets.

I really don't think we need to educate our city vets when it comes to prescribing worming medications. If the goat medicine you're referring to is "Safeguard for Goats", that just fenbendazole, which is a common wormer that is used to treat cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, horses, cows, sheep, reptiles, and birds.

-Kathy

With all due respect to many fine vets nationwide, I have personally come into contact with more than one city vet who did not understand chicken care and either bumbled through or refused to treat. More than one honest vet admitted they had no expertise other than a short chapter in vet school and knew they were giving generic "shot gun" approaches blindly...and a number who simply didn't want the risk so refused to treat. (As my daughter became a surgical Vet Tech and worked rotation rounds throughout our metro and county, we became aware of the overall care and philosophy towards the backyard chicken in our area...we used our flock for some of her studies...she happened to be hired into a clinic with an avian vet and it made all the difference.)

Avian care is a specialty, and most locations do not have avian vets. Farm vet care is another specialty (and another rotation round), and most cities do not have that access either. Most city vets spend 99.9% of their time treating dogs and cats for which they are expert.

Each location is different. Each clinic is different. If you aren't happy with one clinic, ask around to your chicken friends to find a vet who is more versed or willing to become more versed in chicken care (because Kathy's point is correct, a vet is trained in animal care, and they have books on their shelves, if they are willing to read them and take the time to acquire specific skills for chickens....it just hasn't been important enough in most city clinics as the demand for chicken care hasn't been high enough yet to warrant their time, spelled money from practice, to learn.)

Laurelbrookhens, a vet can prescribe off label things for your chickens, which goat wormer is (I'm guessing, as Kathy guessed, fenbendazole, or Safeguard). However, they may or may not understand the farm implications as they are treating with a "pet" mindset. If it is just for your flock and your private egg use, it doesn't matter. Treat the health of the animal, eat your eggs after appropriate pull time (if any), you're good.

If however, you ever intend to give away or sell eggs, then technically, if you treat a food bearing animal with off label products not approved by the FDA, you are NEVER to use that animal for food or food products after such treatment. That means you could NEVER sell eggs or give eggs away from that hen again.

That's why off label knowledge comes into play and understanding the FDA regulations and chicken systems for food production. If you attempt to certify organic, a whole new layer of legislation and restrictions apply. (Which is why the organic farmers, which my daughter and her new husband are, simply cull any sick animal that doesn't respond to herbals...it isn't worth the effort to keep them in the flock if they can't use the eggs or meat ever again.)

Which was the point of your original post...why the pull time...and how we got into this discussion...which likely will matter little to you and your private little flock other than concern over possible drug residues and side effects for the hen which hopefully a savvy vet can walk you through.

If not, BYC is a great resource for follow up information for chicken health.

LofMc