A Video Message From Me - Culling Complete - Update on Post #1

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
I agree! Right now you need to grieve and heal.

 

[McGoo]

PC,
My heart goes out to you.

The quiet alone must be intolerable. I do hope you build your flock again... as soon as you are able to handle it.

Colleen

 

[pips&peeps]

I just thought I'd mention a little something about quails and pheasants.

Yes, they can get MG and people hatch/raise them and lots of people "accidentally" let them go.

If you have game birds, please do not release them. You could be inadvertantly spreading this disease to wild birds and the vicious cycle continues.

If PC wants to get chickens again, I imagine it will be difficult to find MG free birds unless he gets hatchery chicks. There is no way of determining if hatching eggs are carrying the disease as most people do not know they even have it as it can range from very mild to severe depending on the strain and your chicken's health/immune system.

Good luck PC with what you decide to do.

 

[Lunachick]

I only just found this.

A very hard lesson learned.

Thank you for having the nerve to do the video so we can all learn from it.

 

[CityChook]

Oh darn it, PC. This is awful. Your video made me cry. I'm sure it was difficult to make, but it really hits home. Especially when you were describing your four favorite birds - we're all there. We will all learn from your situation. This is so hard, but know that you will help so many with your message. I am so sorry for you. Hugs hugs hugs.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Update 6-16-09
The birds have been gone since last week but I'm still learning from
this. Yesterday I brought my remaining quail, and a few birds from
a local friends flock who had been exposed to mine, to the Vet
Pathology lab at UCONN. My remaining 8 quail showed negative
for MG along with all the other birds tested. Unfortunately the birds
had to be destroyed during this process.

I also spent some time talking to the state vet who gave me an
education my heart wasn't ready for.

I read the tests wrong. Only 30% of my birds were positive for
MG. I could have culled the positives and screened my flock a few
more times and eliminated MG from my flock like the commercial
breeders do. I didn't know. Turns out I didn't know much.

Both Brownie and Ed were negative. They both had symptoms
early on but beat the strain of MG and were not carriers. I culled
them for nothing, more damage done by my ignorance.

It also turns out that MG, depending on the strain, is not nearly
as infectious as I thought it was. When carrier birds are stressed
they can shed it but they don't shed it all the time.

At some point I will be making a BYC Page with all of this info
since this thread has gotten so large.


If anyone ever has a problem or scare with MG or MS you are
welcome to PM me with your phone number and I will speak to
you about my experience & what I have learned.

 

[Reinbeau]

Oh, man, Don <shaking head> I'm so, so sorry.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:

I would've loved to have been told this, too! My state vet only took samples from about 1/3 of my birds and didn't tell me if some were neg. I didn't even know that was an option! He told me it was very infectious and if a few had it they all either had it, or would soon.

My quail tested neg, too. They were always housed seperately from the chickens and I was told they're not as supceptible to MG. Of course, 2 weeks after the test, half of them were wiped out by a black rat snake - the ones not eaten died from stress or injury during the attack.

I tell ya, it's been really hard to hold onto my optimism lately.

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Quote:
I just read this and it said you had your quail tested and they had to be destroyed to do it.. Does this mean you cant get quail tested for this disease with out killing them.. Just wondering..

Also if you buy eggs from infected birds.. How do you know if the chicks are carriers of it.. Should you just put one of your birds in with them to see if your present one gets sick..

Bummer you culled and didnt have to do all of them.. But on the other hand, they may of had it but it didnt register yet because the just caught it. Im so glad you shared your story so others would learn from it.. I didnt even know about this disease until your post. Thank you for educating all of us. But I know there is mucn more to learn..

Thank you
PurpleChicken

 

[WalkingWolf]

Southern and PC I am so sorry for you two. This just seems to never give you a break. I have been doing a lot of reading and I contacted a friend who is a poultry manager for a national poultry company. When I expressed my concerns he guaranteed me that my flock as well as everybody else's has been exposed. The disease is that prevalent. He talked with me how to clean a flock and it does mean culling but not all at once. And the new flock is pulled from the old, by the means of heat treating the eggs. This takes more time than just culling them all and starting over but is more cost effective.

Here is the kicker, almost all avian wildlife is exposed and unless you run a closed operation with no free ranging the problem will return. It is his contention as the industry that the disease has to be managed as it has gone passed the point of ever being eliminated. I do believe our colder than normal winter for many folks brought the disease to bloom.

I free range my birds and some are in tractors. So far so good, but I bet that all of us with birds especially free ranging are exposed. As much as I hate to say it. And after the harsh winter the posts on illness are bringing this to light. To be honest I have been having my doubts as to getting into chickens for food and pets was a good decision. Some of these birds are just like my dogs, part of the family.

I wish you both the best, and try not to dwell, but make plans if you start over. I don't believe I could.