5 Important Ways You Can Use To Reduce Antibiotics Resistance on Your Farm
Antibiotics resistance is a silent but serious health issue. Since the advent of antibiotics particularly in the poultry industry from the early 50’s down to this moment.
Farmers have abandoned the natural ways of farming livestock. And have embraced the excessive use of antibiotics in their various forms in their farms.
Ranging from the use of antibiotics as growth promoters, disease prevention, and cure.
This has resulted in excessive use or misuse of these drugs (antibiotics) to the detriment of the livestock farmers as well as their animals.
Whenever you misuse antibiotics on your farm the very disease-causing organisms you are always afraid of such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or parasites become resistant to antibiotics or medicine.
Your medicine or antibiotics now becomes ineffective, and can no longer help you control or treat diseases on your farm again.
This is when you have antibiotics resistance on your farm, and of course, it is not always a pleasant situation.
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Alternative to Antibiotics
It is a common practice these days, in most farms around the world, as they are coming to terms with the drawback associated with the excessive use of antibiotics, in their various forms in their farms.
Attention is shifting more and more these days to the various alternatives to antibiotics, or reduction in the use of antibiotics in various farms.
Only when it is extremely necessary, rather than the normal practice of using it (antibiotics) as growth promoters, or for disease prevention.
Especially in Africa where there is no strong legislation banning indiscriminate use of antibiotics especially in poultry farms.
Alternative products may not be able to address all the pathogens, and bacteria, which a given antibiotic is effective against.
Although this may be a serious limitation. The use of these alternatives products or methods can translate into limited side effects for your birds.
Reduction in the use of antibiotics in your farm, and stronger immunity for your chicken to fights against infections.
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The following important points would help you reduce the incidence of antibiotics resistance, and to improve the general wellbeing of your livestock:
Prevent your flock from infection
without disease, there won’t be a need to use antibiotics that would lead to antibiotics resistance.
Undoubtedly prevention is better than cure they would always say. These popular sayings are very true and correct as it’s related to our article today.
There are a number of very important steps you can adopt on your farm that would save you a lot of trouble.
Though they may look a bit difficult at first or unnecessary in the end they would save you a whole lot of trouble i.e biosecurity, good management practices, vaccination, provision of clean, clear, and fresh drinking at all times.
Your farmworkers should always wear an apron or put on their protective clothes that are always kept in a safe place within the farm.
Each time they resume work they are expected to put on this protective cloth or work apron with the proper use of disinfectant on their shoes.
Indiscriminate visits to other farms by your farm workers or yourself should be discouraged, except it is extremely necessary, and biosecurity should be strictly observed.
Visitors coming into your farm must not be allowed into your chicken pen. Disinfectants should be kept outside so they can keep their legs before entering their house.
If it becomes necessary for them to enter your farm. Practices that would encourage disease-causing organisms should be avoided.
Avoid any form of roof linkage, which may lead to bacteria proliferation in a moisture-laden litter.
Clean, clear, and fresh drinking water should be provided at all times. There drinkers or feeders should be kept clean and dry particularly the feeds should be kept dry and free from mold and moisture at all times.
This is to prevent the presence of mycotoxins, worms, or disease-causing bacteria.
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Always use quality antibiotics for your chicken if your want to avoid antibiotics resistance
Always used antibiotics that are tested and approved by relevant regulatory agencies, that is responsible for ensuring standards, and safety such as the National Agency for Food Drug and Administration (NAFDAC).
It is the agency responsible for certifying and authenticating the quality of drugs in Nigeria meant for both humans and animals consumption.
Any drugs that don’t have NAFDAC registration number, I don’t buy and at the same time don’t encourage anybody to use such drugs.
The likelihood of such drugs being counterfeit is very high, and the efficacy of such drugs is in serious doubt.
When you purchased any substandard poultry drugs for your birds, the chances that you may encounter antibiotics resistance in the future are high.
Because most of those drugs are fake and have less constituent or composition of any compounds they may claim to have.
Thereby jeopardizing the health of your chicken and you the farmer.
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Ensure Proper Diagnoses before Treatment
Many symptoms of poultry diseases are similar to each other. It is very important that whenever you discover that one or more of your birds are sick.
Instead of guessing and administering antibiotics to them randomly or indiscriminately.
It is very important that you take your birds to the veterinary hospital for proper diagnosis.
And drug prescription should be done by a qualified veterinary doctor so as to avoid antibiotics resistance on your farm in the future.
Always follow Veterinary Doctor’s Prescription in order to avoid Antibiotics Resistance
In other words, use your antibiotics correctly. A qualified veterinary doctor would always tell you how to adequately use the antibiotics on your birds i.e. The right dose, the duration of antibiotics administration, and the method of storage.
If any of these steps or points mentioned above are violated then you are more likely to antibiotics resistance drugs. because the drugs may not function properly and in the end, you might be faced with antibiotic resistance.
Take for instance you bought poultry drugs say oxytetracycline wsp and you are expected to administer say 20mg to 100litres of water to about 100 birds.
and you did contrary to the doctor’s prescription and instead, you administer 5mg to 100liters of water to 100 birds of course you are inviting antibiotics resistance in the future and your birds I doubt if they would ever be well.
Always follow the manufacturers or doctor’s prescription, but I would rather advise you to always follow your doctor’s prescription because he is there with you and the birds and he knows exactly what to do.
In summary
In order to avoid antibiotics resistance always used antibiotics only when it is necessary to desist from indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
Don’t rush into buying antibiotics sometimes what your chicken need is just multivitamins or anti-stress to bounce back.
If you feel your chickens are sick and need veterinary attention.
Always consult with your veterinary doctor for a proper diagnosis before you use any antibiotics.
This will help in avoiding any future antibiotics resistance. Adequate vaccination, proper management practices, and the use of good quality feed would go a long way in reducing the use of antibiotics on your farm.
