A Pilot Survey on the Use of Antimicrobal Agents in Poultry Farms in Kerala

The extent of usage of antimicrobials is expected to increase markedly over coming years due to intensification of farming practices in most of the developing countries. The main aim of the study was to assess the pattern of farming practices and antibiotic use in the selected poultry farms in the Muvattupuzha region of the state of Kerala, India. A semi-structured interview was conducted among the farmers of the twelve randomly selected poultry farms. The use of antimicrobials for various purposes like treatment and prevention of infections, growth promotion, etc. was reported by 67% of farmers. Commonly used antibiotics were ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, tetracycline, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, oxytetracycline, neomycin sulphate, colistin. The survey concluded that none of the farmers were trained in poultry farming and they simply followed the instructions given by their supervisors who are also not aware of the consequences of improper farming practices. They used to give antibiotics for prevention and treatment of infections in chicken without the advice from a veterinarian and they used to get antibiotics from pharmacy shops and other shops without any prescriptions. Most of the farms surveyed were following the poultry recommendations and maintaining cleanliness which was enough to prevent outbreak of infections. Spread of mild infections can be prevented by isolating the sick poultry rather than giving antibiotic to the entire batch. Most of the farmers were aware of the presence of antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry feed and they prefer to use that for the tremendous increase of the weight of poultry.