Antibiotics Will Save Your Flock — Keep Jabbing It!

If you’ve spent any time around poultry farmers, you’ve probably heard this before:

“Just jab them again; antibiotics always work.”

It’s the go-to advice when birds stop eating, start limping, or simply “look dull.” Some farmers even joke that their chickens take more injections than humans. But behind this everyday practice lies a silent crisis that’s slowly destroying Nigeria’s poultry industry — and it begins with misusing antibiotics.

🐔 The Overdose Culture No One Talks About

Many farmers genuinely believe that antibiotics are “multi-purpose drugs.” Sick bird? Antibiotics. Weak bird? Antibiotics. Not growing fast enough? You guessed it — antibiotics.

This overdependence has created what I like to call the “injection reflex”  a habit that gives quick comfort but long-term harm.

The truth is, antibiotics are not vitamins or growth boosters. They are powerful medicines meant to fight bacterial infections — and only when prescribed by a veterinarian. When used too often or incorrectly, they stop working effectively. The bacteria become resistant, meaning they survive even after treatment.

💀 The Danger You Can’t See

Here’s where it gets scary: antibiotic-resistant bacteria don’t stay in your chickens. They move  through eggs, meat, manure, water, and even your hands right into the human population.

That means when a farmer’s child or customer falls sick, the same antibiotics might not work anymore. Doctors struggle to treat what used to be simple infections.

This is how we’re slowly breeding superbugs — deadly bacteria that laugh in the face of modern medicine.

💉 The Cost of “Keep Jabbing It”

The more you inject your birds, the less effective those drugs become.

And when the antibiotics stop working, diseases come back harder and faster. Farmers then buy even stronger (and more expensive) drugs, spending more while losing more.

It’s a vicious cycle  and the saddest part? It’s completely avoidable.

🧠 What You Can Do Instead

1. Get a proper diagnosis. Not every sick chicken needs antibiotics. Sometimes the problem is poor feed, water contamination, or viral diseases that drugs can’t even cure.

2. Consult a vet before treatment. They can recommend the right drug, dosage, and withdrawal time  so no harmful residues end up in your meat or eggs.

3. Stop using antibiotics as feed additives. There are safer ways to boost growth and prevent infections, like probiotics and good biosecurity.

4. Educate your workers. Most misuse starts with ignorance, not malice. A trained farmhand can save you more money than a cabinet full of random drugs.

🌍 A Threat Bigger Than Your Farm

Antibiotic resistance isn’t just a poultry problem. it’s a public health emergency. The drugs we rely on to save lives in hospitals are losing their power, and part of the reason starts on our farms.

So the next time someone says, “Antibiotics will save your flock — keep jabbing it!”

Smile, and tell them the truth:

 “It’s not about how many injections you give, but how wisely you use them.”

Because real farmers don’t just raise birds — they protect lives. 🐔❤️