Please don't use Baytril on your chooks.
Enrofloxacin, packaged under the label of Baytril in New Zealand is from the class of antibiotics called Fluoroquinolones. Which is classed as a critically important antibiotic for human health by the WHO (World Health Organisation).
This drug has been banned for use in poultry in the US due to the development of resistant Campylobacter jejuni. This bacteria is typically found in the micro ecology of the chicken and is responsible for the a multitude of human health issues. (***side note that campylobacter can be caught from lots of other animals as well). Here in New Zealand, we have one of the highest rates of Campylobacter infections in the world. The clinical signs in humans can vary but tend to be gastro-intestinal signs. Enrofloxacin is the treatment of choice for people infected with this bacteria and there is more and more evidence to suggest that resistance is becoming an issue. In a typical small or exotic animal medicine practice enroflofloxacin is commonly used to treat birds of all types. However, as the paper I have attached below indicates, resistant bacteria due to this antibiotic can be a human health problem and best avoided for use in chickens unless necessary and directed by a veterinarian.
