Antibiotic use in the NZ poultry industry

Only a vet can prescribe antibiotics, and usually only after they've checked your animal in person.

On many commercial broiler (meat bird) farms, an antibiotic called zinc bacitracin – also used in humans – is routinely fed to birds throughout their lives. It prevents necrotic enteritis, a symptomless, usually fatal gut disease caused by bacteria that live in poultry litter.

To meet food safety standards, they're switched to an antibiotic-free feed for the specific withholding period just before slaughter.

This is the only antibiotic used regularly in poultry. Others are only prescribed and administered when there is a confirmed disease outbreak.