Mycoplasma - the ethical debate

[Iziayia]

I can't explain how heavy my heart felt this morning when I received the test results back. My birds have been diagnosed with Mycoplasma.

I've been raising and breeding heritage breed poultry for a few years now. I even have my own 'line' of Olive egger chickens that I've been working very diligently on. For the most part I've had a closed flock, and practiced rotational breeding (spiral breeding). The only birds I've taken onto my farm recently have been commercial white turkey poults from a large hatchery (for meat) and a few birds from a supposed reputable breeder (which I now believe to be the source since they refuse to talk to me now). I always quarantine all my birds, but likely I had just bought a carrier since I didn't see anything wrong with them.

A month ago when we got into extremely hot weather and all my birds became stressed they started to show symptoms and it got especially sever for my white turkeys. Everyone else has only mild to none-existent symptoms but my commercial birds are in real bad shape. It took me a long time to finally get someone out and take samples (because what kind of vet cares about backyard poultry right? ) and the tests I got back this morning.

I'm at a loss for what to do. The ethical thing that everyone seems to present when they are not in this type of position is to cull everything, start new after a waiting period. Years of breeding will go down the drain - for a disease that seems to be prevalent in 90% of flocks. Not only that, but also all the money spent on these birds over the years, the genetics, the effort to come to a schreeching halt?! It makes me so angry, and sad and anxious. What the heck do I do? How do you turn your back on something like this?

I'm at a loss.. I'm looking for what other people have experienced, and gone through. These birds aren't just a backyard pet flock.. I have over 70 birds and they are all breeding stock (except for the commercial whites) which I have worked on for years! I don't think I can just turn my back on them, not like this. Not for a disease that plagues over 90% of flocks regardless, and seems to be present in all wild bird populations in my area. But then again, I'm not the one buying birds from me. What would you do in my situation?

 

[Cayuga momma]

My first response was to cull and start over, but after reading your story I would probably keep them in a closed flock. Since Mycoplasma spreads both vertically and horizontally, I don't think you will be able to sell any offspring.
I am very sorry this happened to you.
In the end it will be your decision on what to do.

 

[Cyprus]

I'm so sorry.
Don't cry, it will be okay.
I'm torn between two choices.
The first thing I am thinking about is that you should only cull the birds who test positive.
But if most of your birds test positive then I would just continue breeding and inform your customers.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I’m so sorry that this happened to you.
My flock has mild ILT and I keep a closed flock. I thought that it was the end of the world for me when my birds were diagnosed with mild ILT but it’s not. My birds are happy and healthy and they show no signs of carrying ILT.
Would it be possible to incubate all of eggs from all of your breeding stock and then cull the breeders and raise the chicks away from the property until it’s safe to bring them back?

 

[Ridgerunner]

What I'd do is not relevant. I don't have your experiences, goals, or desires and especially your ethics. That has to be your decision and no one else's. It is already heartbreaking.

I imagine you have researched the disease, know how long it will last in your environment and what it takes to get rid of it. The way I understand it this is a disease that can be transmitted through hatching eggs. If that is true it unfortunately takes away Brahma's option.

When deciding on your options I will say one thing. Consider how you feel when you think that breeder may have sent you birds and knew what they were doing. If you did that I would not think much of you as a person. Any other option looks viable.

 

[Cayuga momma]

I’m so sorry that this happened to you.
My flock has mild ILT and I keep a closed flock. I thought that it was the end of the world for me when my birds were diagnosed with mild ILT but it’s not. My birds are happy and healthy and they show no signs of carrying ILT.
Would it be possible to incubate all of eggs from all of your breeding stock and then cull the breeders and raise the chicks away from the property until it’s safe to bring them back?

Mycoplasma will spread to the egg. So the chicks could still have it even if she incubates them.

 

[dawg53]

You've invested a lot of time and money into your large flock. You made a mistake, tough lesson learned.
It would be unethical to sell or give away infected birds, even if you informed buyers.
Birds that show severe effects of MG, cull them. Then get your other birds started on monthly treatments with Denagard (Tiamulin) and stick with it and maintain a permanent closed flock.

Your other choice is to cull all of them. Then disinfect everything and wait a couple weeks before repopulating. I'm sure that you already know that mycoplasma diseases cant survive more than 3 days in the environment.
I'm sorry you're going through this.

 

[WhiteWyan]

" In valuable breeding stock, treatment of eggs with antibiotics or heat has been used to eliminate egg transmission to progeny. Medication is not a good longterm control method but has been of value in treating individual infected flocks."
Taken from https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-infection-in-poultry