Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
following treatment is fine. On the other hand, while the meat
is safe to eat one day following discontinuance of
erythromycin, I have no data indicating that the eggs are ever
safe to eat again. So laying chickens treated with
erythromycin to cure illness should be transitioned into being
meat birds and replaced with new layers.
Antibiotics commonly used for poultry.
As with vaccines, antibiotics are usually packaged in sizes
suitable for much larger flocks, but a bit of math will let you
know how much to use. One thing you will definitely need,
though, is an accurate scale weighing in grams. Digital scales
used to be quite expensive but can now be found for less than
$30.
Food
During the active growing season, birds will provide about
half of their own food by foraging if the farmer keeps the size
of the flock suitable for the area being foraged, but during the
winter and for the first weeks after hatching, they will need to
be given commercial feed. (The amount of pasture required
per bird depends on the type of vegetation being grown in the
area. Start with 300 square feet per bird, and adjust from
there.) You can also feed grain and vegetable leftovers—such
