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

[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.





Update 6-13-09:
All my hens/pets are now buried in the garden. My non-chicken friends joked
with me about my "pet cemetary" in my front yard. Wasn't really cool but heck,
they're just chickens right? The meat roosters and 9 quail still remain alive until
I can have them processed or do it myself.

Culling so many birds that I've gotten to know, and were my pets, was worse than
I thought it would be. This is a bad feeling I have in my gut. Having to cull an
occasional sick bird is one thing, but the all out slaughter of this many birds
at once, just sucked bad.

Don't let this happen to you. Please.






Check out these links. I'm gonna keep reposting them as this thread grows.


Read more on MG:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...ction-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens


Southernbelle's nightmare: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=181490


Please read this page put together by Spook: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=9241


DLHUnicorn's comments on this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2337109#p2337109


Some of AHappyChick's threads on her Mareks experience:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=160532&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=159697

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

Just goes to show you how one TINY mistake can do so much harm...

 

[bearz]

I'm so, so sorry. I cried thru most of your video. I just had a baby die on me a few minutes ago from cocci and I'm afraid when I go out there in the morning its going to look like a slaughterhouse so I get it. I really do.

I promise never to bring in a new bird to our flock without quarrantining it. Never.

 

[monarc23]

Don,

this broke my heart!!!

I don't even know what to say other than I am so sorry. I don't think you're an idiot though.

 

[swedishfish]

Hugs to you!

I'm so sorry.

 

[astylishgirl]

I am so sorry. This is heartbreaking. Just so sad. I can't tell you how sorry I am.

I promise you that I will learn from this. If nothing else, people will learn.

 

[speckledhen]

PC, thank you for making this video. I just have no words to tell you how very sorry I am.

 

[annek]

What a horrible thing. You are not an idiot, please don't be so hard on yourself. Thank you for taking the time to make the video and know that we are crying along with you.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

So sorry to hear this.

Unfortunately, this disease has become rather prevalent and I have run across a number of flocks that seem to carry this disease.

Although many birds can beat this disease they lay eggs that are infected and they become carriers.

There are many aspects of this disease and it can manifest itself in several forms.

A chronic sneezing and a chronic upper respiratory mucus is noted and some birds "waste" away and die.

Once this disease becomes "normalized" in a community, it is darn near impossible to keep it out of your flock. A sick bird is not the only means of infection.

If you can keep a flock without bringing any more birds in or take any out, you may be able to keep them. However this is always entirely up to the flock master. You have obviously determined that your flock needs to be culled.

So sorry.

 

[saddina]

I am so sorry for your loss.