[TanyaGibson]

Hi folks,
I'm hoping someone can help me - is it o.k. for a chook to live out her life on antiobiotics (she hasn't laid for months and I doubt she will again, but even if she did I wouldn't use the eggs).  Dear Milo (my favourite and still a young'un) is her old self when on baytril (eating lots, running around the yard, scratching around the yard, etc), but she becomes lethargic and stops eating a few days after her course runs out.  A vet told me many commerical chooks live their lives on antiobiotics, so I was wondering if it's o.k. for a much-loved pet to do the same - and whether anyone's done this with their girls? 

[Casey76]

What is she on antibiotics for?

Antibiotics may decimate the normal gut flora, and this can make them feel a bit off for a few days.  A good pro and prebiotic like Avipro Plus after a course of antibiotics should act as a pick-me-up.

Commercial hens are unlikely to be on antibiotics as you can't eat the eggs while they are receiving antibiotics.

[TanyaGibson]

The vet is unsure, but I'm fairly confident it's peritonitis.  The antibiotics kill the infection but once she come off them the infection returns.  As far as I'm aware there aren't many cures for peritonitis apart from drastic options such as a hysterectomy (my vet has heard of others performing them, but he hasn't done one on a chook himself).  I read somehwere about a chook-lover in the US who takes one of his girls to a vet twice a year for some sort of injection that halts the egg-producing process - I wrote the name of the drug down but can't find it.  So at this stage the best option seems to be antibiotics, at least until she's reached chook menopause.

As for commercial chooks on drugs, I thought the same thing . . . but my vet says the eggs produced by chooks on antibiotics are used to make powdered egg.