Post MG/MS and ILT Clean-up

[amwchickin]

I have recently confirmed my flock has both Mycoplasmas and ILT (infectious laryngotracheitis). While I know I’m not going to add to or move this flock, I may at some point decide to cull because of the transmission availability to neighbors as well as what I hoped to do in the future with chickens.

Any suggestions for disinfecting and a waiting period for when it leaves the ground? Info on ILT said 3-4 weeks, but I haven’t seen anything on MG/MS that really tells you for sure.

Thanks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have recently confirmed my flock has both Mycoplasmas and ILT (infectious laryngotracheitis). While I know I’m not going to add to or move this flock, I may at some point decide to cull because of the transmission availability to neighbors as well as what I hoped to do in the future with chickens.

Any suggestions for disinfecting and a waiting period for when it leaves the ground? Info on ILT said 3-4 weeks, but I haven’t seen anything on MG/MS that really tells you for sure.

Thanks

Sorry to hear this, how awful to deal with something so contagious.

Depopulation would be something to consider for sure, but it would be a heartbreaking decision.

Some articles say MG is short lived. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PS034

I would clean/disinfect and wait for a couple of months before repopulating.

Look into using Virkon S or Oxine to sanitize your coop/housing.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that you are dealing with disease in your flock. Mycoplasma, fortunately lasts only several days on material, equipment, shoes, clothes, etc. ILT may linger in frozen droppings for a longer time. If wild birds are often in your feeders or waterers, they can spread disease from neighbor to neighbor, and onward. Do you know how your birds picked up the diseases. One way to control a chronic contagious disease is to cull a sick bird when symptoms show up. Some birds may have good enough immunity to fight off infection, and may function well. How many and what type of birds do you have?

 

[dawg53]

MG/MS only last 3 days in the environment because it lacks a cell wall. Sunlight will kill the bacteria. Surviving birds are carriers for life with either disease. It would be best to cull, disinfect everything as recommended by Wyorp Rock, and repopulate in 6 months.
ILT can stay in the soil for a long time, about 3.5 months. Here's a link regarding ILT:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/arti... may,organic material for as long as 100 days.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I'm a little late with my reply but I had MG, MS, and Coryza in my flock last year and the state recommended that I cull, sanitize everything, and wait 8 weeks before getting new birds. Part of the 8 weeks may have been because I free range my birds so there is a lot of ground that couldn't be sanitized. From what I've read it seems like the 8 week timeframe was overly cautious, but it worked fine for me as I scheduled a foot surgery during that time and was off my feet anyway.

And just as an aside, I did all that and now have a new flock that is now MS and Coryza positive again, despite my best efforts at getting clean birds. The state vet does NOT recommend culling for these, she said they are not as big of a health problem as MG. It's not what I was hoping for but it is acceptable for me for now. I still don't feel comfortable selling pullets with those illnesses in my flock but I may try to sell hatching eggs with full disclosure since MS is so common.

 

[dawg53]

Just for your information, mycoplasma passes through the eggs to hatching chicks, if they survive. Do not sell nor give away chicks. You MUST maintain a closed flock.

As far as the contaminated soil goes, that's why I recommended waiting 6 months before repopulating in my previous post.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

Just for your information, mycoplasma passes through the eggs to hatching chicks, if they survive. Do not sell nor give away chicks. You MUST maintain a closed flock.

As far as the contaminated soil goes, that's why I recommended waiting 6 months before repopulating in my previous post.

MS is not fatal to chicks or embryos. MG is. Big hatcheries all over the US sell MS positive chicks every day, and they do not disclose. In my case if I decide to sell hatching eggs it will be with full disclose of my MS test results.

MG is a different thing and I culled my whole flock rather than pass that on.

 

[dawg53]

Here are test results for you regarding MS passed through eggs:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/462456/

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-in-poultry

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18766820/

https://www.hyline.com/Upload/Resources/TU MS ENG.pdf

As for the Coryza, Tylan or Baytril in combination with a sulfa drug such as sulfadimethoxine or SMZ-TMP will treat it, but birds will be carriers for life.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I am aware that it passes through the egg, that is why I would fully disclose that if I decided to sell hatching eggs.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am aware that it passes through the egg, that is why I would fully disclose that if I decided to sell hatching eggs.

MS is much harder to treat and impossible to get rid of. MG symptoms cannbe treated and somewhat controlled by some antibiotics. So I would not recommend selling hatching eggs ever. You can keep a closed flock, but just don’t sell eggs for hatching or chicks. No hatchery can guarantee that their birds are mycoplasma free, but MS is less common than MG.
Edited to say, the byline article above, says that MS is the more common disease.