Drug administration to poultry

Drugs can be administered to birds either individually or as a flock treatment. For poultry, drinking water and feed medication are preferred, but in the case of serious disease, parenteral administration can be an alternative. For an efficient and safe therapy, data on drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics are required. Therefore, the gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology of birds, and the elimination of drugs in birds are discussed in this review. In addition, important aspects of drinking water medication, such as water quality, individual water uptake, drinking water system, lighting periods and drug formulations are discussed. Also, some requirements concerning feed medication are mentioned. Finally, parenteral and vaccine administration in the poultry industry are described. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.