Antibiotics, Uses and Effects in Poultry
After a long break, we are here again.
This time to throw light and knowledge on what seems to be a controversial topic in poultry farming.
What is antibiotics?
Antibiotics are drugs which can be made in the lab (synthetic) or in form of local herbs (organic ) that are used to enhance performance of animals. They can be made to kill or modify other micro organism in the body.
We has human can’t do without taking antibiotics, drugs like tetracycline, the moment we feel sick, we take antibiotics.
Poultry animals need micro organism in their guts but it must not be too much or else the effect would be adverse on the animals as there would be a drop in production, they may not eat well, they may have irritations etc.
Hence we need to give them antibiotics.
There are many antibiotics to use ranging from tetranol or should I say any antibiotics that has tetra is made from tetracycline. Some are sulfur based anti biotics etc.
Antibiotics is different from vaccine.
Vaccine is a substance which is given to the animal to boost it’s immunity. Vaccine are made from the organism itself and a modification is done to it to suit it’s need.
Example, new castle vaccine were made using new castle disease itself, the sample were collected from the animal that has been infected with the disease and then taken to the lab for further research and experiment.
From the sample collected from an infected animal, a vaccine is created and given to a non infected animal to boost their immunity so that they would not have the disease in case their is an outbreak of the disease or if the disease comes to that environment.
Coccidiosis is a disease and what you would give your bird is antibiotics.
The fear people are having now is that, what if all the drugs made from the lab have residues in animals?
What if they are the reasons for cancer etc?
Hence the need for pro biotics
Hence the need for organic farming
Many people are now using the herbs people take locally to treat animals because they are made from plants and has no side effects on both the animal and the consumer.
Animals cannot do without taking drugs but you just have to be careful so that it won’t be too much and their disease would not be resistance to it.
Thank you
