How long after medication can I eat the eggs?
Most medications backyard keepers reach for are not labeled for laying hens, which is why the internet disagrees about withdrawal times. This table separates what the label says from what FARAD and extension vets advise, with the source for each. Check the label on your product and ask your vet; this page is a map, not a prescription.
Withdrawal times at a glance
| Product (drug) | Used for | Label status for layers | Commonly advised egg withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corid (amprolium) | Coccidiosis | Not labeled for hens producing eggs for food | 0 days per FARAD guidance at label dose; many keepers discard for the treatment week |
| Safe-Guard AquaSol (fenbendazole, water) | Roundworms | Approved for laying hens | 0 days (label) |
| Safe-Guard paste or goat liquid (fenbendazole) | Roundworms | Extra-label | 17 days (FARAD) |
| Ivermectin (pour-on, injectable, paste) | Mites, lice, some worms | Extra-label; not approved for poultry | No established figure; vets commonly advise 7 to 14 days. Ask FARAD. |
| Permethrin products labeled for poultry (sprays, dusts) | Mites, lice | Approved when the label lists poultry | 0 days (label) |
| Elector PSP (spinosad) | Mites, lice | Approved for laying hens | 0 days (label) |
| Wazine (piperazine) | Roundworms | Label says do not use in hens producing eggs for food | Extra-label; FARAD guidance needed. Keepers often cite 14 days. |
| Tylan (tylosin), soluble | Respiratory illness | Extra-label in laying hens | No label figure; ask your vet or FARAD |
| Terramycin / oxytetracycline, soluble | Various infections | Some products labeled for chickens; check yours | Per label where labeled; otherwise FARAD |
| Baytril (enrofloxacin) | Serious infections | Prohibited in poultry in the US | Do not use; eggs from treated hens cannot be sold or eaten |
Why the numbers disagree online
- "Extra-label" means no official number. If a drug is not approved for laying hens, the manufacturer never ran the residue study, so the label is silent. The figure comes from FARAD, which models it from other species, or from a vet’s judgment.
- Formulation matters. The same drug in water, paste or injection clears differently. Safe-Guard AquaSol is zero days; Safe-Guard paste is seventeen.
- Dose matters. A double dose, or a longer course, lengthens the withdrawal. Follow the label dose exactly.
- Rules differ by country. This table is US-focused. Canada, the EU and Latin America have their own approvals and withdrawal periods.
How to use it
- Note the date of the last dose and the hen, or write "whole flock".
- Count the withdrawal days from the last dose, not the first.
- Set the eggs aside, and give them to the dog, compost them, or hard-boil them for the hens. Do not sell them.
- Ask your vet to put in a FARAD request when the table says to. It is free.
Sources: product labels (Safe-Guard AquaSol, Elector PSP, Corid), FARAD withdrawal guidance for poultry, and university extension poultry programs. A withdrawal timer per hen is on ChikiPay’s 1.1 list, so the eggs that need setting aside get flagged on the Today screen.
Common questions
What is an egg withdrawal period?
The time after the last dose during which eggs must be discarded, so no drug residue reaches your plate. It comes from the product label when the product is approved for laying hens, and from FARAD or your vet when it is not.
Is there an egg withdrawal for Corid?
Corid (amprolium) is not labeled for hens laying eggs for people, so there is no label withdrawal. FARAD has advised that no withdrawal is needed at label doses, and many keepers still discard eggs for the treatment week to be safe. Ask FARAD or a vet for a flock-specific answer.
Can I eat eggs after Safe-Guard?
Safe-Guard AquaSol is approved for laying hens with a zero-day egg withdrawal. The paste and goat liquid are extra-label in chickens; FARAD has recommended discarding eggs for 17 days after those.
What is FARAD?
The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, a US program run by veterinary colleges that gives withdrawal recommendations for extra-label drug use. Your vet can submit a request for your flock at farad.org.
Run your own numbers. The free cost per egg & break-even calculator does this math for your flock in a few seconds. Nothing is saved.