Old birds will die, for many reasons. Check with your state veterinary path lab, at least here there was a swab test for Mycoplasma that could be sent in to them.
Mary
Only chicks from good hatcheries, preferable vaccinated there against Marek's disease, then isolated from your environment for two to three weeks, fit the bill. Unless you have MS or MG endemic in your flock. What diseases did you introduce in the past?
Biosecurity is a big deal with chickens...