My chickens are on antibiotics. When can I safely eat their eggs?

I do not recommend giving them mediations unless they are sick. Giving birds antibiotics to prevent illness can cause vomiting and diarrhea which can be fatal. I recommend keeping the cage clean and proper diet with water. If they become ill you can always take them to a vet for better advice.

Thanks for reaching out and including a photo. No antibiotic will treat all bacterial infections. Not all respiratory problems are bacterial, let alone infectious. There are several viral diseases possible, and many non-infectious problems. Inhaled toxins or foreign bodies can cause respiratory problems. An enlarged liver, spleen or other internal organs can not allow chickens to take a deep breathe. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Is the abdomen distended? Ascites (fluid accumulation) can be due to liver, kidney, ovarian and other problems. Draining the fluid (through a veterinary visit) can relieve symptoms but is probably not a cure. Good luck.

She is definitely in need of an examination by a veterinarian to assess the situation more carefully. Based on the information you've provided, it sounds like she could have some sort of upper respiratory infection, as these often can cause the eyes to crust up and shut completely. Antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication are usually the best bets for this sort of ailment. However, first things first, you'll need to have someone take a look at her to make sure there isn't a primary ocular issue going on instead. Hope this makes sense.

If they are egg layers, feed a layer feed. For chickens raised for meat, feed a grower feed. Vitamins can be added to food or water. Medications should only be administered on the advice of a veterinarian who has physically examined them.

Usually once they are treated properly for the disease they will not be shedding the bacteria anymore. It is recommended you wait at least 30 days AFTER completion of treatment before exposing her to any new birds. Hope this answers your question. If not, please feel free to post again.

This can be normal, especially if you are somewhere where it is still cold and not having a lot of daylight, or is very hot, as environmental stress can sometimes stop laying for a period. If there's been a change to your flock (adding birds, removing birds, etc) or a change to diet it can also take a few days for laying to resume. Very old and very young birds may also not lay regularly until their hormones even out (in the case of young birds). If the lack of laying continues, the comb or waddle become very pale (a sign of illness or anemia), or you see other signs of illness, a vet visit to rule out any health issues is best.

Without knowing more about the signs that your birds are showing, it is difficult to say what is going on with them. There is a lot of overlap with infectious diseases in chickens, so many of them can look alike. The treatments for them, however, can vary, and need to be initiated by a veterinarian. I would recommend that you contact a veterinarian in your area so that s/he can do a physical exam on at least one of your birds. I was unable to find where you were located based on your zip code, as it did not give any results for the US. There are some regions which have avian diagnostic labs, and many times they have a chicken veterinarian on staff. This may be an option for you depending on your location. At home, you can try supportive care for the birds. Ensuring they have a warm place to go is crucial, so they don’t have to work as hard to keep warm (chicken body temperatures are about 102-104 F). Also make sure they have fresh water and food easily available to them, and monitor to ensure they are eating. To do this, you can feel along the bottom of their necks - this is where the crop is, and it is a pocket in their esophagus where good is stored when they eat. If you feel good in it, that is good as it indicates they are eating. If it is empty, they are not. Please do not give any human medications to your birds, as many of them can be harmful to chickens. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck.