Straw in manure breaks down antibiotics 15 Oct 2008

This is the conclusion of a study done by Agricultural Research Service (ARS), part of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

For the study, a scientist from the Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey, together with US scientists teamed up to look at the levels of oxytetracycline and chlorotetracycline in faeces samples of chickens.

It was shown that the antibiotic concentrations are reduced when the manure is mixed with straw. This is because the addition of straw brings more air to the manure, which speeds up the composting process.

Additional research has shown that antibiotics and hormones are present in different places near intensive farms.