If you have to give your chickens antibiotics, the kind of antibiotics you give them determines how long you will have to wait before you can eat their eggs. Studies reveal that eggs were tested from hens given Doxycycline (DOTC) and Oxytetracycline (OTC), (both are medicines commonly used to treat bacterial infections) for 7 days in a row. During the time the hens were given the medication the eggs were tested daily. Tests revealed that the antibiotic concentrations increased in the yolk day by day and reached peaks for 2 days after the medications had been stopped and declined gradually thereafter.
The tests revealed that DOTC stayed in the albumin for 24 days after the antibiotic had been stopped while OTC was only detected in the yolk for 9 days after the medication had been stopped. DOTC stayed in the hens system longer due to higher concentrations which lasted a longer period in eggs because of its greater lipophilicity (the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, and liquids) mostly attributed to how it was absorbed orally and how it penetrated the tissues. "The depletion period of OTC was shorter for the albumin (the watery part of the egg), where the residue disappeared in all eggs 6 days after withdrawal" (Yoshimura, 2018).
Question: How long should you wait before eating eggs from chickens who were given antibiotics?
Answer: Antibiotic concentrations are gone from the albumin in 6 days but are not gone from the yolk. Concentrations are not completely gone from the yolk for 24 days for Doxycycline (DOTC) and for 9 days for Oxytetracycline (OTC). Many people and websites claim the antibiotics are out of their systems and the eggs are safe to eat in 7-10 days but as you can see studies reveal that is not the case. Due to recent studies on the possibility of human antibiotic resistance being caused by antibiotics used to treat poultry and livestock, it is probably not a good idea to eat the eggs until all of the antibiotics are gone from the egg white and the yolk.
Question: How is antibiotic use in food animals linked to antibiotic resistant infections in humans?
Answer: According to the Center for Disease Control Scientists across the globe have already provided strong evidence showing that antibiotic use in food animals leads to resistant infections in humans by allowing antibiotic resistant bacteria to grow and crowd out good bacteria which does respond to antibiotics. This resistant bacteria can contaminate food from the animals and the resistant bacteria in food we eat can cause infections in humans (CDC, 2018).
Question: Is there a safe alternative rather than giving antibiotics to chickens?
Answer: Yes, research suggests that using probiotics (beneficial bacteria for gut health) stimulates the good bacteria needed to fight infections that your chickens may get except in extreme cases, such as necrotic enteritis chickens or their eggs that will be eaten by humans shouldn't be given antibiotics. Sprinkle oregano ( a natural probiotic for chickens) on the top of your chickens feed once a week for added protection.
See more below.
The tests revealed that DOTC stayed in the albumin for 24 days after the antibiotic had been stopped while OTC was only detected in the yolk for 9 days after the medication had been stopped. DOTC stayed in the hens system longer due to higher concentrations which lasted a longer period in eggs because of its greater lipophilicity (the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, and liquids) mostly attributed to how it was absorbed orally and how it penetrated the tissues. "The depletion period of OTC was shorter for the albumin (the watery part of the egg), where the residue disappeared in all eggs 6 days after withdrawal" (Yoshimura, 2018).
Question: How long should you wait before eating eggs from chickens who were given antibiotics?
Answer: Antibiotic concentrations are gone from the albumin in 6 days but are not gone from the yolk. Concentrations are not completely gone from the yolk for 24 days for Doxycycline (DOTC) and for 9 days for Oxytetracycline (OTC). Many people and websites claim the antibiotics are out of their systems and the eggs are safe to eat in 7-10 days but as you can see studies reveal that is not the case. Due to recent studies on the possibility of human antibiotic resistance being caused by antibiotics used to treat poultry and livestock, it is probably not a good idea to eat the eggs until all of the antibiotics are gone from the egg white and the yolk.
Question: How is antibiotic use in food animals linked to antibiotic resistant infections in humans?
Answer: According to the Center for Disease Control Scientists across the globe have already provided strong evidence showing that antibiotic use in food animals leads to resistant infections in humans by allowing antibiotic resistant bacteria to grow and crowd out good bacteria which does respond to antibiotics. This resistant bacteria can contaminate food from the animals and the resistant bacteria in food we eat can cause infections in humans (CDC, 2018).
Question: Is there a safe alternative rather than giving antibiotics to chickens?
Answer: Yes, research suggests that using probiotics (beneficial bacteria for gut health) stimulates the good bacteria needed to fight infections that your chickens may get except in extreme cases, such as necrotic enteritis chickens or their eggs that will be eaten by humans shouldn't be given antibiotics. Sprinkle oregano ( a natural probiotic for chickens) on the top of your chickens feed once a week for added protection.
See more below.
Study on the Residues of doxycycline and oxytetracycline in eggs after medication in drinking water of laying hens:
"Eggs laid were collected daily during and after medication, and the antibiotic concentrations in the yolk and albumin were determined by the cup-plate method with Bacillus cereus var. mycoides ATCC 11778. The concentrations of both antibiotics were increased in yolk day by day with the advance in medication, reached peaks 2 days after withdrawal and then declined gradually. Mean peak concentrations in the yolk were 6.70 micrograms/g for DOTC and 1.42 micrograms/g for OTC. Peak concentrations in the albumin occurred in the middle stage of medication, where the mean values were 12.24 micrograms/g for DOTC and 1.03 micrograms/g for OTC. DOTC was detected in albumin until 24 days after withdrawal and for 2 days more in yolk than in albumin"(Yoshimura, 2018).
"Eggs laid were collected daily during and after medication, and the antibiotic concentrations in the yolk and albumin were determined by the cup-plate method with Bacillus cereus var. mycoides ATCC 11778. The concentrations of both antibiotics were increased in yolk day by day with the advance in medication, reached peaks 2 days after withdrawal and then declined gradually. Mean peak concentrations in the yolk were 6.70 micrograms/g for DOTC and 1.42 micrograms/g for OTC. Peak concentrations in the albumin occurred in the middle stage of medication, where the mean values were 12.24 micrograms/g for DOTC and 1.03 micrograms/g for OTC. DOTC was detected in albumin until 24 days after withdrawal and for 2 days more in yolk than in albumin"(Yoshimura, 2018).
References:
1. Yoshimura H, e. (2018). Residues of doxycycline and oxytetracycline in eggs after medication via drinking water to laying hens. - PubMed - NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2015932
2. Antibiotic Resistance | NARMS | CDC. (2018). Cdc.gov. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/narms/faq.html
1. Yoshimura H, e. (2018). Residues of doxycycline and oxytetracycline in eggs after medication via drinking water to laying hens. - PubMed - NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2015932
2. Antibiotic Resistance | NARMS | CDC. (2018). Cdc.gov. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/narms/faq.html
