Chickens are very sick, Please help! ( Up Date! )

[Sheilak]

It is pneumonia caused by mold. How are you storing their food?

 

[Eggcessive]

It is chronic and contagious, making carrier of all your chickens. Most people maintain a closed flock until all chickens are gone. Sanitation is effective since mycoplasma only lives several days in the environment. There is no vaccine for it like there is for MG. Tylan and Erythromycin (Gallimycin) are effective at treating it. It can affect the sinuses, air sacs, and joints of the chicken. Here is some info: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...nfection_in_poultry_infectious_synovitis.html
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/99/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-ms-infectious-synovitis

 

[Eggcessive]

It is pneumonia caused by mold. How are you storing their food?

MS is not caused by mold--are you thinking of aspergillosis? MS is a respiratory and arthritic disease caused by mycoplasma.

 

[saltandpepper2]

So.. do I need to treat it, or is it not serious enough to worry about? Their limbs are fine. And some people say their faces are too, lol. As for mold, if that;s true, I can't really help that. They free range in a large forest every day, and woods always have mold...

 

[Eggcessive]

So.. do I need to treat it, or is it not serious enough to worry about? Their limbs are fine. And some people say their faces are too, lol. As for mold, if that;s true, I can't really help that. They free range in a large forest every day, and woods always have mold...

It's not from mold. Treating for MG or MS is only necessary when they show symptoms of illness. If one goes lame and starts lying around with swollen joints, or has respiratory gurgles and a runny nose, then treat with AB's. Otherwise, just beware that you have a positive MS flock--do not sell birds or hatching eggs, and wear clean shoes and clothes to feed stores and wash hands so you don't spread it.

 

[saltandpepper2]

It's not from mold. Treating for MG or MS is only necessary when they show symptoms of illness. If one goes lame and starts lying around with swollen joints, or has respiratory gurgles and a runny nose, then treat with AB's. Otherwise, just beware that you have a positive MS flock--do not sell birds or hatching eggs, and wear clean shoes and clothes to feed stores and wash hands so you don't spread it.

Thank you, well, that gets rid of my breeding plans, lol. I can't really get rid of them, especially since some are worth $40 and up... I guess I'll just let them live their lives until I can get new ones...

 

[casportpony]

Then when you do get new ones, buy eggs and birds from places that are certified to be free of mycoplasma. Remember that not all NPIP certified farms are tested for mycoplasma, it varies by State.

-Kathy

 

[saltandpepper2]

Then when you do get new ones, buy eggs and birds from places that are certified to be free of mycoplasma. Remember that not all NPIP certified farms are tested for mycoplasma, it varies by State.

-Kathy

I will definitely keep this in mind thank you! Well, depending on how long they have had this, this could have been what the two birds that went lame died of.. Honestly, I would prefer mycoplasma to mereks! I've already decided that if another bird dies, it's going for a necropsy, just to be sure. I live in GA, so I'll have to look it up. Thanks for all the help!