Authors: O.A. Arikan, L.J. Sikora, W. Mulbry, S.U. Khan, G.D. Foster
Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used in
livestock production. The widespread use and relative
persistence of OTC may encourage development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine whether composting would substantially reduce the concentration of OTC found in manure from medicated animals. The effect of OTC on composting was also investigated. Five beef calves were medicated for 5 days with 22mg/kg/day of OTC. Approximately 23% of the OTC fed to the calves was recovered in the manure. Manure samples
collected from calves prior to and after medication were mixed with straw and woodchips, and aliquots of the subsequent mixtures were…
