Alternatives to antibiotics in the layer industry

As part of the Australian Egg Industries antimicrobial stewardship, a review of the literature regarding potential alternatives to antibiotic treatment in laying hens and pullets was commissioned. The literature was searched using bacterial disease terms, laying hens, pullets and “alternatives to antibiotics”.

For the majority of diseases there were only a small number of papers in this class. There were many more papers discussing these diseases in broilers and in particular the replacement of so-called antimicrobial growth promoters.

This literature was also consulted. Most classes of alternatives examined have a place in reducing the need for antibiotic treatment, but few are suitable in currently available forms as actual replacements for therapeutic antibiotics in the face of a systemic disease outbreak. The classes of alternatives to antibiotics that are commercially available in Australia are being largely utilised in the Australian layer industry at the moment and they primarily act in the area of disease prevention or of allowing the birds to respond better to infection, either by immunomodulation or improved gut and general health.

The Australian Egg Industry will need to retain the use of the currently registered antibiotics with nil-egg withholding period for some time into the foreseeable future to treat the increasing level of bacterial diseases associated with free-range farming.