Chicken sneezing, culling, treating...questions not answered by searching threads

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Searsmom said:
Or isolate the ones showing symptoms for now and see if they get better or any others get worse. Without knowing what it is, it's kind of a guessing game and sometimes knowing isn't worth the cost. Or do that backwards and isolate the ones that are OK for now. If they all get sick, you know to sterilize and start over and see about sending one to the State Vet - they usually like to know what kinds of issues are happening where anyway.
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So I have isolated the two sickies and am waiting to see what happens. If none of the other birds get sick is it safe to bring in more birds at some point later in the year?
 
prescottchicken said:
So I have isolated the two sickies and am waiting to see what happens. If none of the other birds get sick is it safe to bring in more birds at some point later in the year?
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casportpony said:
Have blood drawn on the sick ones and send it to a lab for mycoplasma testing.

-Kathy
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That would be the best way to know. If none of the other birds get sick, it could be that you simply have hardier birds in that group - if it's something recoverable. Depends on how you want to run your operation. You can guess and cross your fingers and figure you've got hardy birds remaining, or have them tested and know what the problem is - which means you would know whether you can bring in more birds later in the year. If you don't/can't send out to a lab for testing, waiting to see if any more get sick is a good idea, you should know soon. Lots of issues remain in the ground/coop for a long long time. If it's that you have genetically hardy birds, you may just go through this every time you get new birds. But you can't know for sure unless you have the sick ones tested. If you don't/can't get them tested (and I know I couldn't afford it right now) the waiting game is a tough route to go, but you'll just have to wait and see. And follow those links and learn as much as you can.
 
Searsmom said:
That would be the best way to know. If none of the other birds get sick, it could be that you simply have hardier birds in that group - if it's something recoverable. Depends on how you want to run your operation. You can guess and cross your fingers and figure you've got hardy birds remaining, or have them tested and know what the problem is - which means you would know whether you can bring in more birds later in the year. If you don't/can't send out to a lab for testing, waiting to see if any more get sick is a good idea, you should know soon. Lots of issues remain in the ground/coop for a long long time. If it's that you have genetically hardy birds, you may just go through this every time you get new birds. But you can't know for sure unless you have the sick ones tested. If you don't/can't get them tested (and I know I couldn't afford it right now) the waiting game is a tough route to go, but you'll just have to wait and see. And follow those links and learn as much as you can.
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Thanks for the info! I have been waiting to see what happens and more of the birds are starting to sneeze so whatever it is, it is spreading. Sickie number one still seems quite happy and frisky. They all do. They are just slightly congested. They don't have eye discharge or mites and so I guess I am sort of waiting to see if they get better or worse. I don't want them to suffer or feel uncomfortable and I am not interested in long term medicating 9 chickens so I have made plans to cull the flock if they don't improve.
the state vet wont do a necropsy until at least 5 chickens have died so I think I'll try to get the vet to do blood work. I hope it's not too pricey.

Depending on those results, if I DO cull them and I sterilize the coop with water, vinegar and bleach and flood the ground with it (after removing the deep litter), anyone know how long I should wait before putting new chickens in there? would 2 months be long enough or is that way too soon?
 
Thank you all for your help.
I've decided to cull. I searched for necropsy and mycoplasma testing options and maybe AZ is just weird but just to get a culture from the state lab was $90 plus I have to fed ex my chicken on ice halfway across the state. The necropsy option was $280 (plus I would have to ship it) and the State Vet wont do them. I keep reading threads talking about free state testing but can't find that to be the case here.
I am not interested in eating eggs from birds who are getting frequent antibiotics (which, thus far they haven't responded to anyway). and without giving a new antibiotic the girls are getting worse. I culled the two birds who were starting to be uncomfortable (mucus in the beak and eyes). Since it seems to have spread, even though I quarantined the first sick one, I'm going to cull the rest this weekend.
Thanks for all of the very helpful information.
 
So sorry you have to go through this! I went through it last month and it was hard to lose my chickens but I knew it was for the best. Mine had Mycoplasma Synoviae so I knew I could never have new birds until the disease was gone. Wishing you all the best and hopefully you can start over with healthy, happy birds!
 
prescottchicken said:
Thank you all for your help.
I've decided to cull. I searched for necropsy and mycoplasma testing options and maybe AZ is just weird but just to get a culture from the state lab was $90 plus I have to fed ex my chicken on ice halfway across the state. The necropsy option was $280 (plus I would have to ship it) and the State Vet wont do them. I keep reading threads talking about free state testing but can't find that to be the case here.
I am not interested in eating eggs from birds who are getting frequent antibiotics (which, thus far they haven't responded to anyway). and without giving a new antibiotic the girls are getting worse. I culled the two birds who were starting to be uncomfortable (mucus in the beak and eyes). Since it seems to have spread, even though I quarantined the first sick one, I'm going to cull the rest this weekend.
Thanks for all of the very helpful information.
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Aw, I'm so sorry. That's a tough thing to have to do.
hugs.gif
 

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